Round Twenty-Six Of The Assistance To Firefighters Grants To Aid America's Fire Departments Announced By FEMA
South Carolina Receives $645,729 To Assist Local Fire Departments In Latest Round Of Grants
Release Date: December 12, 2003
Release Number: R4-03-287
ATLANTA, Ga. -- Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response, announced 198 grants to fire departments throughout the U.S. in the twenty-sixth 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 five communities in South Carolina.
"The call to duty for first responders can be the western wildfires or the northeast snowstorms that we have recently experienced," said Brown. “President Bush, Secretary Ridge and I continue our commitment to support America’s firefighters through these critical funds designed to protect this nation.”
This twenty-sixth round of grants provides almost $23 million to help local fire departments fund the purchase of firefighting equipment, fund firefighter health and safety programs, enhance emergency medical services programs, and conduct fire prevention and safety programs. Since June, over 6800 fire departments have received almost $518 million to support their role as first responders in the neighborhoods and communities they serve as firefighters.
Grants have been made available to the following fire departments in South Carolina:
| Burton Fire District | Beaufort | Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety | $275,674 |
| West Columbia | West Columbia | Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety | $46,883 |
| County Line Volunteer FD | North Augusta | Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety | $95,891 |
| Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department | Seneca | Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety | $101,267 |
| Cheraw Fire Department | Cheraw | Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety | $126,014 |
The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), administers the Assistance for 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 http://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: Monday, 15-Dec-2003 16:08:18