FEMA Grant Reopens Door For 34 Firefighters

From WNEM.com, May 11

FLINT, MI – Flint officials say a federal grant has allowed 34 laid off firefighters to return to work and two fire stations to be reopened.

Fire Union President Raul Garcia told WNEM TV5 that 12 firefighters started their 24-hour shift Monday.

Twelve more will be back on the job Tuesday and the final 10 will be working again on Wednesday, Garcia said.

Flint recently laid off 23 of 88 firefighters and 46 of 150 police officers to help close a budget deficit. The cuts have been accompanied by a wave of suspected arsons, many in abandoned homes.

"There wasn't one part of me that didn't want to come back to Flint," said returning firefighter Rob Green.

The city laid Green off two years ago when money problems forced city leaders to slash budgets.

Green was 20 years old then, and fresh out of the academy.

“Getting on the Flint Fire Department was a dream of mine, a dream come true,” said Green.

He said it didn’t seem real when shortly after being hired, the city told him they didn’t have the money to pay him anymore.

Green said he performed odd jobs to make ends meet until the news came that he was rehired.

Fire officials are also reviewing applications and are expected to hire three or four new recruits soon.

The moves are funded by a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant, which expires May 10, 2012