Firefighters Get Grants

Grants numbering 253 have been awarded to fire departments throughout the U.S. in the fourteenth round of the 2003 Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. The grants will ultimately total approximately 7,000 awards worth $750 million in direct assistance to firefighters.

Included in the announcement were awards for five communities in Tennessee.

This fourteenth round of grants provides $18.6 million to help local fire departments fund the purchase of firefighting equipment, fund firefighter health and safety programs, enhance emergency medical services programs, and conduct fire prevention and safety programs.

Grants have been made available to the following fire departments in Tennessee: Bean Station Volunteer Fire Department Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety $63,900 Bean Station;

Cedar Grove Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety $47,911 Bone Cave;

Altamont Volunteer Fire Department Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety $26,424 Altamont;

Hickman County Rescue squad Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety $112,373 Centerville;

Powell’s Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety $89,757 Whitwell.

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), administers the Assistance for Firefighters Grant Program. The program assists rural, urban and suburban fire departments throughout the United States.

On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA’s continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.