Lorain firefighter Chris Bennett, left, and Lt. Greg Neal at the Lorain Central Fire Station. Bennett was scheduled to be laid off after 12 years with the Fire Department, and Neal to be demoted to a firefighter before concessions with the city were reached. The Department just received a $1.7 million grant to rehire seven other firefighters who were previously laid off. (CT photo by Steve Manheim.)

More than $1.7 million has been awarded to the Lorain Fire Department by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Fire Administration.

The funds will be used to re-hire laid off firefighters and recruit new firefighters through the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program, according to the Fire Department and a news release from Sen. Sherrod Brown.

From the release: “SAFER grants bolster fire departments’ ability to respond to fires and fire-related hazards, along with their overall level of preparedness. These round four funds can be used for recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters and hiring firefighters. The funds provide for salaries, benefits, and general equipment needs.”

In March, the Elyria Fire Department received a $3.7 million SAFER grant. That grant allowed them to pay the wages and benefits of 23 additional firefighters for two years, according to a story at the time.

The Lorain Fire Department laid off seven firefighters last year. The department also planned to lay off another 11 and demote six officers, but those cutbacks were averted after the department and the city were able to agree to concessions, according to Fire Chief Tom Brown.

Check back at Chroniclet.com for more on this story as it becomes available.