San Juan Fire Department to receive FEMA SAFER grant totaling over $525,000

San Juan, TX – The City of San Juan Fire Department announces the award of a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) who made their formal announcement on August 28. Congressman Ruben Hinojosa publicly presents the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant in the amount of $525,319 to City of San Juan on Friday, November 13.

“The SAFER grant allows the department to hire 6 new full-time fire fighters,” states San Juan Fire Chief Tirso Garza who has headed the department for the last 5 years, “the SAFER grant gives San Juan’s fire department the needed funding to attain and maintain 24-hour staffing and to assure that the city is better prepared in the event of fire and fire-related hazards.”

The fire department is currently classified as a combination department having 11 paid Suppression Division fire fighters and 2 paid administrative positions. Currently the department boasts 22 active volunteers.

Previous grant allocations awarded to the San Juan Fire Department include the Texas Forest Service and the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. These funds have been utilized for the purchase of firefighting gear and rescue equipment. Hidalgo County Pct. #2 recently awarded a total of $110,000.00 for purchase of a new brush truck.  

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Contact Information:

Tirso Garza, San Juan Fire Chief

2301 N. Raul Longoria San Juan, TX 78589

956-783-3484

tgarza@cityofsanjuantexas.com