WTFX
Reprinted with Permission

TRENTON, N.J. - Dozens of firefighters in New Jersey's capital city will keep their jobs, thanks to a multimillion-dollar federal grant.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded nearly $13.7 million to the Trenton Fire Department, meaning the planned layoff of 61 firefighters has been canceled.

The grant was formally announced Thursday by New Jersey's two U.S. senators, Democrats Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg.

The money comes through FEMA's Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response program. It's geared to return laid-off firefighters to work or keep on the job those who are under the threat of layoffs.

Officials have said the proposed layoffs would have cut the fire department's manpower by one-third.