Firefighter hires and EMT training
Summary
Clifton won a $2.1 million federal grant, but it was written for 16 firefighters while the council only approved seven positions — and councilman Kolodziej warned of future tax hits when the grant expires.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 4
- Last 30 days
- 2
Rising — discussed at 3 meetings since Sep 15, 2026, up from 1 in the two months before.
Impact analysis
Federal share is $2.1 million of a $3.4 million total; the city's match and retention costs could raise taxes in later years.
Fire coverage improves and overtime pressure eases if positions are filled.
Taxpayers face potential increases when the grant funding ends.
Mentions & discussions (4)
City Council - Oct 20, 2026
Eight new firefighters were slated for acknowledgment at $44,486 each, plus a contract with Bergen County Technical Schools for EMT basic training. More staffing affects response times and public safety citywide.
City Council - Oct 6, 2026
Clifton won a $2.1 million federal grant, but it was written for 16 firefighters while the council only approved seven positions — and councilman Kolodziej warned of future tax hits when the grant expires.
City Council - Sep 15, 2026
While the council amended the Fire Department's table of organization, Councilman Kolodziej argued there are cheaper ways to tackle overtime, including writing overtime rules into the contract and revisiting consolidation.
City Council - Sep 1, 2026
Overtime has blown past $1.5 million this year. The council advanced a bigger fire table of organization to cut overtime, while rejecting a similar 10-officer police increase until budget numbers are known.
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