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12/21/07 West Hazleton Fire Department Receives $86,450 Federal Grant |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 21, 2007
Contact: Abigail McDonough
202-225-6511
WEST HAZLETON FIRE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES $86,450 FEDERAL GRANT
Rep. Kanjorski Champions Grant for Protective Clothing
WEST HAZLETON, P.A. - Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski (PA-11) today announced that the West Hazleton Fire Department in Luzerne County received an $86,450 grant through the Fiscal Year 2007 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Fire Administration. The funds will be used to purchase updated protective clothing for the fire fighters.
The West Hazleton Fire Department is comprised of 20 volunteers, 2 full-time career firefighters, 1 career fire chief, and 10 part-time paid operators.
The fire department also received a $261,250 fire grant at the end of November to replace their 30 year old fire truck.
"These grants are blessings and it has been a great year for us. We greatly appreciate everything that the Congressman has done to help us receive this grant as well as the previous one," said Robert Ward, Fire Chief for the West Hazleton Fire Department. "The funding will help us better protect our firefighters by providing them with necessary updated protective clothing."
"I am proud to announce that the West Hazleton Fire Department received two generous fire grants within one month," stated Congressman Kanjorski. "These fire fighters risk their lives everyday to protect the citizens of the Hazleton area. They deserve the updated equipment and clothing they will now have the opportunity to purchase to help ensure higher standards of public and firefighters safety."
The purpose of the AFG program is to award grants directly to fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service (EMS) organizations. These grants provide first responders with the means to protect the health and safety of the public, as well as first responders. Nationally, the AFG awards, which will be distributed in phases, will ultimately provide approximately $490 million throughout the country.
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