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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - NOVEMBER 16th 2007
MIDDLESEX FIRE DISTRICT RECEIVES
$83,778 THROUGH FY 2007 ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT AWARD FROM U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
(Middlesex, NY) –In the 15th
round of funding for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007, the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) awarded a $83,778 Assistance to
Firefighters Grant (AFG) program award to the Middlesex Fire District.
The grant award will be used to supply new Self
Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), a SCBA fill station and related equipment to firefighters. The
SCBA protects
firefighters from smoke in structural fires and provides a clean, safe, air
supply in any immediately dangerous atmosphere. The Middlesex Fire District will
be required to contribute 5% matching funds to receive the grant award.
The Middlesex Fire District provides fire protection and emergency medical
first response services to the entire Town of Middlesex and a small part of the
Town of Italy. The district consists of a one-quarter square mile hamlet,
surrounded by 37 square miles of rural area with a population of 1,425 persons;
it is located in Yates County in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State.
Awards are not just for the asking, successful
applicants spend many hours researching and writing their requests. DHS
awards the grants on a competitive basis to the applicants that best address the
AFG program’s priorities and provide the most compelling justification.
Applicants whose requests best address the program’s priorities are reviewed by
a panel composed of fire service personnel. Requests are awarded based on
recommendations of the panel.
Nationally, the AFG awards, which will be
distributed in phases, will ultimately provide approximately $492 million to
roughly 4500 organizations. Due to the highly competitive nature of the AFG,
approximately 22,731 applications nationwide were received from fire and
non-affiliated EMS organizations totaling approximately $3.1 billion in grant
requests, for Fiscal Year 2007.
Through the AFG program, the department awards
grants to firefighters, emergency response personnel and first responders
throughout the country 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 provide resources for local fire departments and emergency
medical services programs to purchase or receive training, conduct first
responder health and safety programs, and buy equipment and response vehicles.
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is
administered by the DHS Directorate for Preparedness through its Office of
Grants and Training (G&T) in cooperation with the United States Fire
Administration, also a division of the Preparedness Directorate.
For more information about the AFG Grant Program
visit:
http://www.firegrantsupport.com/afg
For a complete description of the program as
published in the Federal Register visit:
http://www.firegrantsupport.com/docs/2007FedRegister.pdf
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