The Kent Fire Department Regional Fire Authority will receive a Department of Homeland Security two-year grant of $811,704 to hire four firefighters next year.

Fire department officials recently received notice that the two-year grant application had been approved, according to a Kent Fire Department media release.

The grant, titled Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER), will allow the department to hire, outfit, train and cover the wages of four new firefighters.

Kent currently has nine firefighter positions that are unfilled as the fire department works to keep costs down. The grant will help reduce the shortage by almost half.

The grant differs from a previous SAFER grant the department received several years ago in that there is no matching dollars or contribution necessary from the fire department. One hundred percent of this $811,704 grant is covered through Homeland Security.

“Battalion Chief Greg Markley’s hard work in securing this grant has done our community a great service,” said Fire Chief Jim Schneider. “It will allow us to increase our available resources at no additional expense to local taxpayers.

“The Kent Fire Department is always working to be cost effective and fiscally responsible. This grant is a win-win for the department and the community we serve.”

The Kent Fire Department will begin conducting a recruit firefighter assessment process next month. Job offers will be made to the top candidates in early 2013.

The goal of SAFER is to enhance the local fire departments’ abilities to comply with staffing, response and operational standards established by the National Fire Protection Association and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, according to the Homeland Security website.