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JOHNSON CITY, N.Y. -- Johnson City is looking forward to putting its new SAFER grant from FEMA to use. The village is getting a $1.2 million grant for its fire department.

The funding will add six firefighters to the department.

The village will look to rehire any firefighters that were previously laid off and may also interview new firefighters who pass the civil service test.

The additions will put more manpower on each shift and will allow firefighters to answer more medical calls. It will also help staff the village's Southside Fire Station, which sometimes runs unmanned.

All steps that leaders say will help firefighters continue providing quality services to residents.

"It’s very important. The more firefighters you have, the safer everybody is when comes to issues in the village, whether it’s a fire, accident, disaster, whatever, the more guys you have, the better it is," Johnson City Mayor Greg Deemie said.

The grant will allow the village to keep the additional firefighters for a two year period. After that, village leaders will have to determine whether or not they can afford to keep the firefighters on staff.