LYNDA COHEN
Press of Atlantic City

ATLANTIC CITY - The city's 30 laid-off firefighters will start their return to work today.

There will be an orientation, which will begin the process to get them back in uniform -- and filling positions that currently require either overtime or closing companies, Fire Chief Dennis Brooks said.

The rehires will be paid for by a $9.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, or SAFER, grant provides money to paid and volunteer fire departments to help keep them at safe personnel levels. It provides money only to those who man equipment.

"It will reduce our operating costs and should eliminate overtime, which is an asset for the city," Brooks said.

The reduced staff has also caused an average of two of 11 companies to be closed per shift, or four companies within a 24-hour period.

"That's an average," Brooks said, adding that as many as five companies have closed per shift, or 10 within 24 hours.

Atlantic City was awarded the grant two months ago, and City Council unanimously approved it March 9. Now, they have until May 5 to get everything into place so that none of the money is lost, Brooks said.

The city cut 30 firefighters and 40 police officers last year in an effort to trim millions of dollars from the budget. The grant will pay for the returning firefighters' salaries for two years, along with allowing the city to hire 21 additional firefighters to fill jobs lost to attrition. The money also covers 10 promotions to fire captain.

But exactly how the new firefighters will be hired remains uncertain, Brooks said.

"The city leaders still have some questions," Brooks said. "They need some things answered before they go ahead with that."

There is a list to hire from for the new firefighters, which needs to be approved by the Department of Community Affairs because it is a civil service job. Brooks said he believes that approval has been received but will know for sure today.

However, he did not know the status in getting the new fire captains -- many who have been filling the position in an "acting" capacity.

"I have no word on the promotions," Brooks said. "We're still waiting."

He was not sure how long the process would take for the returning firefighters, who are brought back from a special list. The process will include physicals and recertification in training such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

"They've been out a little bit, so we'll get them recertified," Brooks said of the firefighters who have been out of work since Sept. 30. "When we get to work Monday, we'll see where we are with the administration. If it's full steam ahead to get them back, we'll have everything moving as quickly as possible.

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April 4, 2011