MJ Burben INC.

09/28/2026

MJ Burben Inc. congratulates the DeWitt Fire District on its SAFER grant award. The award will support the hiring of 14 Firefighter/EMTs, helping the District expand its capacity to serve and protect the community.

Julie and Michael Burline thank Chief Green and the DeWitt Fire District for trusting our firm with this crucial application. We are proud of the team that made this award a reality.

Thank you to FEMA’s SAFER program, IAFF Local 2733, and Senator Schumer for their support. We look forward to seeing the lasting impact of this investment.

DEWITT FIRE DISTRICT AWARDED $3.53 MILLION IN FEDERAL GRANTS - The DeWitt Fire District has been awarded $3,534,625 through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program to support the addition of necessary Firefighter/EMT positions. With a $2,197,199. investment by the District, the three-year initiative represents a total commitment of $5,731,824 to enhance emergency response capacity in the fire district.

The award addresses a consequential change in the demands of the District after the district was expanded in 2025. The addition of responsibilities including commercial, industrial, logistics, biotechnology, and semiconductor-related development is increasing the scale and complexity of the properties it protects. A significant incident can require simultaneous fire suppression, search and rescue, emergency medical operations, and protection of adjacent properties. Those tasks depend on having a sufficient force available when the call is received.

“The growth of our protection district has changed the level of risk we are responsible for managing,” said Philip Vander Molen, Fire District Commissioner. “This award allows us to address that responsibility with a substantial investment in personnel. For taxpayers, it supports a more capable and dependable emergency response system. For our firefighters, it means building the staffing needed to carry out dangerous work with greater safety and effectiveness.”

The District’s request was supported by a staffing and community risk analysis conducted with district leadership, including IAFF Local 2733. The analysis considered response data, current staffing, overtime usage, critical infrastructure, and findings from the FEMA-approved Onondaga County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. It identified a need for 14 additional Firefighter/EMTs to strengthen response capacity, support advanced life support operations, reduce reliance on overtime, and advance the District’s goal of staffing a dedicated four-person truck company.

NFPA 1710 establishes a framework for the organization and deployment of career fire departments, including company staffing and the personnel required to carry out emergency operations. OSHA’s respiratory protection standard, 29 CFR 1910.134(g)(4), requires at least two firefighters inside and two outside during interior structural firefighting, subject to the rule’s provisions. Meeting that requirement is one part of an emergency response; crews must also have personnel available for command, water supply, ventilation, search, rescue, and other tasks dictated by the incident.

“Emergency response capability must be measured against the operational demands of the incidents we can reasonably expect to face,” said Fire Chief Jason Green. “As the District’s commercial footprint and critical infrastructure expand, the number of personnel required to perform essential tasks safely and concurrently also increases. These positions will improve our ability to assemble effective crews, manage complex incidents, and protect both responding firefighters and our residents, businesses, schools and visitors – that is what they all deserve. With support and commitment from Board of Fire Commissioners, the SAFER Grant will help us realize this initiative.”

President Andrew Philopena from DeWitt Professional Firefighters Local 2733 said the firefighter’s union is excited and grateful to receive the SAFER grant. “Our union, Fire Chief, and Board of Fire Commissioners share a commitment to providing the resources and support necessary to protect the people we serve. We sincerely thank the Chief’s office and the Board for their continued efforts to make our district and community safer. This grant is an important investment in the department’s ability to protect our community.”

The successful grant application was prepared on behalf of the fire district by grant consultants, MJ Burben, Inc. of Utica. The DeWitt Fire District thanks Senator Charles E. Schumer and his Syracuse office staff for their efforts to help bring this funding to the District. It also thanks FEMA’s SAFER program for recognizing the District’s staffing needs, and IAFF Local 2733 and the International Association of Fire Fighters for their cooperation and support.
International Association of Fire Fighters, Senator Chuck Schumer, FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency

09/25/2026

Congratulations, Inlet Volunteer Emergency Services (IVES). Thank you for allowing us to be part of your team.

09/24/2026

Congratulations Hagaman Volunteer Fire Department. We are honored you trusted us with being your grant consultants.
Thank you to: Senator Chuck Schumer and
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency

09/24/2026

09/23/2026

Congratulations to the Frankfort Center Volunteer Fire Department and Chief Fred DiStefano on receiving a FEMA Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Recruitment and Retention award!

At MJ Burben, Inc., we are honored to be part of this team. Frankfort Center is our neighboring home department, which makes this award especially meaningful to us.

The SAFER Recruitment and Retention program is an excellent fit for Frankfort Center. Investing in the people who answer the call strengthens the department and the community it serves. We look forward to working alongside Chief DiStefano and the department, and we are confident this program will deliver outstanding results.

Congratulations to the entire Frankfort Center team!

09/23/2026

Congratulations to the **Town of Glen Volunteer Fire Department** on its **$178,533.33 FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant award!**

This grant will help the department purchase **18 self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) units and 17 additional facepieces**. SCBA supplies the breathable air firefighters need when they enter smoke-filled buildings and other dangerous environments. For a volunteer department, this is a major investment in firefighter safety and the community it serves.

We are especially grateful to **JD Downing** for being an awesome editor and partner throughout the grant application. JD, your attention to detail and commitment to your department made this a true team effort. **Michael and Julie Burline and everyone at MJ Burben Inc. are grateful to be on your team.**

Thank you to FEMA and the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program for supporting the volunteers who answer the call for the Town of Glen.

Learn more about the department: https://townofglenfire.com/

Town of Glen Vol Fire Dept Inc

09/23/2026

Senator Chuck Schumer FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency

MJ Burben, Inc. congratulates the City of Utica Fire Department on its FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) award for training.

We thank Senator Charles E. Schumer for his continued support of the fire service and FEMA’s AFG program for investing in the training firefighters need to serve their communities safely and effectively.

We are proud to work alongside the City of Utica Fire Department and grateful to everyone who helped bring this award to Utica.

🚨 UFD Awarded $186,545 FEMA Grant 🚨

The Utica Fire Department has been awarded $186,545.45 through FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, providing critical funding to expand specialized training, strengthen our Technical Rescue Team, and support the health and well-being of our firefighters.

The grant will fund advanced training in ice and cold-water rescue, swiftwater and floodwater rescue, rope and high-angle rescue, confined-space rescue, Fire Officer I–IV, and Fire & Emergency Services Instructor I–II. Funding will also provide staffing coverage while members attend these programs, allowing UFD to maintain frontline staffing and uninterrupted emergency response.

A major portion of the award will support the continued development of UFD’s newly formed Technical Rescue Team. This specialized training will enhance our capabilities as recreational activity and development continue to grow along the Mohawk River, Erie Canal, Utica Harbor, and surrounding waterways.

The grant will also support an IAFF Peer Support Training Program, providing firefighters and mutual-aid emergency personnel with additional tools to recognize behavioral health concerns, support fellow first responders following traumatic incidents, and connect members with appropriate resources.

Securing an award of this size is a collaborative effort. The City of Utica and Utica Fire Department would like to recognize U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and his staff for their assistance in obtaining this federal funding. We also recognize IAFF Local 32 President Mark Nicoletta Jr. for his assistance with the grant and Local 32’s continued support of UFD’s grant applications.

The successful FEMA grant application was prepared on behalf of the City of Utica and the Utica Fire Department by the City’s grant consultants, MJ Burben, Inc.

Thank you to everyone who played a role in securing this funding and continuing to invest in the training, safety, preparedness, and well-being of Utica’s firefighters. 🚒🔥

Senator Chuck Schumer
International Association of Fire Fighters
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency

06/20/2026

As we head into the final weekend of the FY 2025 FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant application period, MJ Burben Inc. respectfully asks all Fire Chiefs and Authorized Organization Representatives to log into FEMA GO and verify that your application has been submitted.

Please remember that, under FEMA regulations, the individual who actually submits the application automatically becomes the Primary Contact. The individual identified within the application is designated as the Secondary Contact. MJ Burben Inc. is listed solely as the "Preparer" and, in accordance with federal requirements, cannot submit the application on behalf of any department.

The application period closes Monday at 5:00 PM Eastern. We strongly encourage departments to submit as soon as possible. Historically, the FEMA GO system can become heavily congested as the deadline approaches, and waiting until the final hours may result in unnecessary complications.

Please take a few minutes to verify your status today. If you are experiencing any issues with FEMA GO, have questions regarding your application, or need assistance with the submission process, please contact me immediately. I am available throughout the weekend and will do everything possible to help ensure your application is successfully submitted before the deadline.

Thank you for the opportunity to assist your department, and best wishes to all applicants.

Julie A. Burline
MJ Burben Inc.

06/11/2026

06/11/2026