WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Benjamin L. Cardin (both D-Md.) and Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.) today announced the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association (CVVFA) in Hagerstown has been awarded a $172,700 Fire Prevention and Safety (FPS) grant.

The FPS grant is funded through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFGP). Senator Mikulski is on the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the AFGP and fights each year to increase its federal funding. Senator Cardin is a member of the Budget Committee, which each year sets priorities for funding to federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security. Congressman Bartlett is a senior member of the House Science and Technology Committee.

“First responders are our true heroes – protecting our homes, our businesses and our communities. I’m grateful for the sacrifices they make every day,” said Senator Mikulski. “The federal government has a responsibility to protect our protectors, providing them with the tools they need to do their job safer and smarter. That’s why I will continue to fight to provide the federal support they need to get the equipment, training and resources they deserve.”

“Firefighter grants represent a major effort by the Federal government to ensure that our nation’s first responders have the equipment and training they need to do the job,” said Senator Cardin. “Our firefighters are on the frontlines every day, and it is critical that they have the resources to deal with any emergency or life-threatening situation they may have to confront.”

“This $172,700 grant to the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firefighters Association is part of the federal government’s effort to strengthen the Nation’s ability to respond to fire and fire related hazards and to improve the nation’s overall level of preparedness. Firefighters give their time and energy and put their lives in harm’s way to protect us. A man-made or natural disaster in our Nation’s Capitol might call upon First Responders from the entire region. These grant programs are highly competitive,” Congressman Bartlett said. “Most of the fire companies in western Maryland are staffed by volunteer firefighters. I am proud of the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firefighters Association for demonstrating how these federal grants will contribute to improving safety and our First Responder capabilities for residents, businesses and government installations in the Baltimore-Washington region.”

CVVFA includes members from Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Delaware. The CVVFA will use its funding to train first responders in highway safety skills while they are on the job. For more information, call CVVFA President Jerry Daniels at 301-368-5076.

This is the second award for the CVVFA. In 2006, CVVFA was awarded a FPS grant of $144,200. AFGP grants fund firefighting equipment, personal protection equipment, training, firefighting vehicles, firefighter/first responder safety projects, staffing recruitment and retention, and public education on arson and fire prevention. Since 2001, Maryland fire and emergency medical services have been awarded more than $64 million in AFGP funding.