Carrollton will save more than $1 million over the next few years, courtesy of a federal grant for fire department staffing.

On Friday, the city’s fire department was awarded more than $1.2 million from the Department of Homeland Security as part of the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant. SAFER grant money can only be used to pay the salaries for new hires or for recruitment.

Chief Jimmy Bearden said the grant will be used over the next five years to pay part of the salary and benefits for 12 new firefighters. They will be staffing a new station opening on the east side of the city this summer.

“We were really extremely proud to get it,” he said. “It couldn’t have come at a better time with the economy the way it is.”

For the first year of the grant, 90 percent of the firefighters’ salary and benefits will be covered. Each year the percentage covered by the grant will decrease until the fifth year, when the city takes over, Bearden said. It costs Carrollton between $38,869.86 and $48,002.80 to fund a new firefighter’s salary and benefits. The difference in costs depends on whether the firefighter is certified and if their health care includes dependants.

City Manager Casey Coleman said the 12 new positions were already in this year’s budget, and the money saved over the years will go back into the general fund.

“We’re really excited about getting selected for this grant,” Coleman said. “It helps us that much further.”

City officials said they want to see the saved money remain in the general fund for expenses down the road.

“It’s not hard having to build a project like that, but people don’t think about having to fund them after they’re built,” council member Rusty Gray said. “We should just put in reserves to supplement the fire department somewhere along the lines.”

Mayor Wayne Garner also wants to see the money saved stay in the general fund.

“This will just take the pressure off,” he said. “We’re excited about that.”

Given the national economic slump, Gray said he supports any savings the city can do.

“You can’t always count on tax revenues to come in like they used to. What we depended on is not there, but financially we’re in good shape. We have money in reserves,” he said. “You don’t know what’s going to come along.”

Along with Carrollton, two other cities in Georgia received SAFER grants. Centerville received $316,275, and Fayetteville received $948,828.