When it comes down to a real emergency, firefighters are often the first line of protection and defense.

In Camp Verde, that line is about to get a little stronger thanks to a $325,140 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The Camp Verde Fire District was one of more than 100 fire departments across the country to receive a share of millions of dollars as part of the government’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, or SAFER, grant program.

The money will help supplement the recruitment and hiring of three additional firefighters for the district, according to district spokesperson Barbara Rice.

The grant was designed specifically to make sure communities get more “frontline” people working to protect communities. According to Rice, one of the main goals of the grant program is to help bring the district’s staffing standards more in line with those established by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, or OSHA.

The district will receive the money over the course of the next five years so that the cost of hiring new personnel can be spread across several fiscal years.

“Receiving these grant funds will allow Camp Verde Fire District to increase our staffing and response capabilities, thereby reducing response times [and] improving firefighter safety,” read a statement released by the district.

Camp Verde was one of six Arizona fire departments to get a piece of the FEMA pie; other awards went to firefighters in Chloride, Rio Rico, Lakeside, Avondale and Clarkdale.

Nearly $190 million was distributed to departments across the county for the 2008 grant cycle.

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