The Santa Maria fire department is hiring, thanks to a 1.9 million dollar federal grant. The department plans to hire nine new firefighters over the next three years. City officials say a FEMA grant will fund 75 percent of the cost of the new firefighters for the first two years. The city’s Measure U sales tax money will cover the remaining costs. Officials plan to use the grant to fund an additional response unit at Fire Station 1. Adding that they expect to have the new response unit fully staffed early next year.
