Fire department will double staff with help of grant

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By Justin Burrows - email

Port Wentworth, GA (WTOC) - A "Now hiring" sign will soon be hanging in the window at the Port Wentworth Fire Department.

After applying and waiting for nearly two years, the City of Port Wentorth received a grant worth $302,581 as part of the Department of Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. See Port Wentworth Fire Department awarded grant.

Fire chief Greg Long says this will double the size of his work force.

Currently the city has five full time firefighters: three on rotating schedules, one captain and one chief. With the grant money they're hoping to hire at least three more full-time firefighters and at least put somebody at station two, currently an unmanned station on Highway 21.

The department hopes they can keep the same amount of people they have at station 1 and duplicate it at station 2. The timing of the grant couldn't be better.

"Unfortunately, we are having to close our viaduct that runs through the city and where our fire department is at now, we could be blocked in by the rail road tracks and not be able to get across the viaduct," said mayor Glenn Jones. "So it's important to us and we're looking into working to get our fire station 2 which is on the north side of the city activated."

Chief Long tells WTOC the people of Port Wentworth should feel secure knowing the department has come a long way and will continue to move forward with this grant money.

"When we started the fire department full-time in 2006, we had one person who only worked 40 hours a week," said chief Long. "Now they'll have at least 2 certified firefighters on duty at all times."

For more information on the grant, visit www.firegrantsupport.com.