SPECIAL TO THE ADVOCATE

U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced that the Department of Homeland Security will award a total of $662,928 to eight fire departments located in Alabama.  The funding is provided through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program or the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response program.

The Greenville Fire Department will receive $37,240 for operations and safety.

“Firefighters are in the field everyday protecting our citizens,” said Shelby.  “We have a responsibility to ensure that our first responders are adequately prepared to respond to any event. These grants are evidence of our nation’s continued commitment to our first responders.”

The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded these funds as a part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG). The AFG is designed to enhance response capabilities and to more effectively protect the health and safety of the public with respect to fire and other hazards. The grants enable local fire departments and emergency medical services organizations to purchase or receive training, conduct first responder health and safety programs, and buy equipment and response vehicles.

Additionally, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program is meant to support the hiring of firefighters and recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters.  Summerfield Volunteer Fire Department, located in Dallas County, received $46,800 in funding.