Assistance To Firefighters Grant Awards Announced To Aid America's Firefighters 

California Receives More Than $900,000 in Latest Round of Grants

Release Date: September 29, 2003
Release Number: R9-03-79

» 2003 Region IX News Releases

Oakland, CA - Michael D. Brown, under secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response, announced 166 grants to fire departments throughout the United States in the sixteenth 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 seven departments in California: Ventura County, Rincon Valley, Tulare County, Bodega Bay, Woodlake, Redwood Coast and San Bruno.

"To support our first responders who answer the call in natural disasters and man-made hazards, President Bush, Secretary Ridge and I remain committed to directly funding their efforts to save lives and property through this grant program administered by Homeland Security and FEMA," said Under Secretary Brown.

This sixteenth round of grants provides $11.7 million to help local fire departments purchase 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 for fire operations and firefighter safety to the following fire departments in California:

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), administers the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. The program assists rural, urban and suburban fire departments throughout the United States. A list of all current award recipients announced to date is posted on the USFA web site at www.usfa.fema.gov/grants. Future grant recipients will be listed as awards are made.

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.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 30-Sep-2003 08:47:44