Schumer, Gillibrand announce over $5 million in FEMA funding for New York firefighters and emergency response preparedness

Statement

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $5,046,694.73 in federal funding to bolster New York's firefighter force and to provide essential PPE for firefighters responding to the COVID-19 outbreak.

"From the peak of the pandemic to normal times, our brave firefighters are always on the front lines, risking their lives to protect their communities," said Senator Schumer. "These courageous first responders deserve all the federal support possible to help them do their jobs. I've fought my whole career to bring more federal resources to support our heroic firefighters, and I'm proud to deliver this funding so New York's fire departments have the critical PPE, training, and support they need as they keep New Yorkers safe during the pandemic."

"New York's first responders have worked tirelessly to keep our communities safe throughout the COVID-19 outbreak," said Senator Gillibrand. "As we enter fire season amidst a global pandemic, we must ensure our fire departments have the resources needed to hire and retain firefighters, and to keep them protected with essential PPE. I will always fight to secure the resources our fire departments need to stay safe as they enter the line of duty."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)'s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) - COVID-19 Supplemental Program awarded New York State $4,406,589.73 to provide essential PPE, training, and supplies for firefighters responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. Additionally, New York State received $640,105 from FEMA's Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program, which was designed to strengthen the nation's emergency response and preparedness for fire-related hazards by maintaining 24-hour fire department staffing.

In recent letters, Senator Schumer pushed for AFG - COVID 19 supplemental funding for the Owasco and Howlett Hills Fire Departments, which were awarded $436,952.38 and $171,238.10 respectively, and Senator Gillibrand successfully pushed for the City of Troy to receive $34,374.55 in Round 11 of the competitive FY 2020 AFG-S announcements.

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