Van Hollen Votes To Boost Resources For Fire Departments
Press Release
Van Hollen Votes To Boost Resources For Fire Departments
Today Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) issued the following statement on House passage of the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act. The legislation, passed yesterday, will provide local firefighters with the tools and resources they need to prevent and fight fires, and keep our communities safe:
"The economic downturn is adversely affecting the budgets of local governments and threatening a range of emergency services that communities count on. The budgets for programs that assist firefighters, first responders, and local communities nationwide with the equipment, training, and personnel they need to protect the public have all been reduced as declining state revenues force governors and city managers to make difficult choices.
"Passage of the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act will ease their burden, extending the resources for fire departments that we included in the Recovery Act and the FY09 Supplemental Appropriations Act. The SAFER and AFG grants will help local communities keep up with manpower and equipment needs as the array of tasks falling to local fire departments continues to grow. Today, fire departments must not only fight fires, they must also handle emergency medical services, and serve as first responders in the case of terrorist attacks or natural disasters."
Congressman Van Hollen and Senator Barbara Mikulski recently visited the Kensington Volunteer Fire Department (KVFD) to celebrate the purchase of a new fire truck and highlight federal support for firefighter recruitment and retention support at the station. KVFD recently received a $600,000 AFG grant to purchase a new aerial ladder truck and more than $635,000 in SAFER grants. The SAFER grants will provide funding to hire a full-time volunteer recruiter and offer volunteers scholarships for college tuition in exchange for their service. Click here and here for photos from the event (Photo Credit: Ed Tenney, MCVFRA)
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