By Kendrick Marshall

Thanks to a grant from the U.S. Fire Administration and Dept. of Homeland Security, the North Chicago Fire Department can now acquire a new 85-foot tower/ladder truck.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin announced Monday that five Chicago area fire departments and fire protection districts throughout the state were awarded $968,700 in grant money to purchase much-needed equipment and vehicles.

North Chicago received $675,000 -- the most of any department in the state and the second most in the country.

"Our nation's firefighters are called upon day after day to protect American citizens," Durbin said, "As these brave men and women put themselves in harm's way, we much ensure that they are equipped with the best tools possible to do their jobs well. This grant will go a long way toward meeting that goal."

The funding is provided through the Dept. of Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, which seeks to strengthen the nation's ability to respond to fires and hazards.

"We are very thankful that we were able to get this grant for the departments," said Cmdr. Dell Urban, who wrote the grant request three months ago seeking funding help. "It would have been difficult for the department to get that money any other way."

While the money assists in the purchase of the truck, each department must provide some portion of the money on its own, considering the truck North Chicago wants costs $750,000 to $800,000.

"The government considered fire department needs its number-one priority," Urban said.

Urban said the department needed to have a new truck to replace their aging late-1970s model ladder truck to help with potential large fires in North Chicago and at Naval Station Great Lakes.

"The grant money will only allow us to help keep residents safe," she said. That is something we do not take lightly."