January 16, 2009 Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) announced today that fire departments in several Connecticut towns have been awarded federal grants totaling more than $2 million. The funds will go to improving operations and safety at their facilities, acquiring new vehicles, and hiring additional personnel. The grants were made possible by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program, which provide aid to first-responder programs nationwide with the aim of improving the equipment and staffing levels in order to protect the health and safety of the public, as well as that of the first-responders themselves.
“Each and every day fire fighters stand ready to put their lives in danger in order to protect their fellow citizens,” said Dodd. “This grant will help the brave men and women of fire departments across our state continue their honorable work.”
“I am extremely pleased that so many Connecticut fire departments will get these much needed federal grants,” said Lieberman. “We should ensure our first responders have everything they need to perform their life-saving work.”
The fire departments to receive funding are:
Brookfield Volunteer Fire Department – $42,256
Colchester Hayward Fire Department – $102,600
Enfield Fire District No.1 – $375,014
Groton Fire Department – $712,500
Hartford Fire Department – $240,800
Middletown Fire Department – $433,009
Mohegan Fire Company – $118,750
Monroe Volunteer Fire Department No. 1 – $38,285
New Britain Fire Department – $72,001
North Thompsonville Fire Department – $40,375
Scotland Volunteer Fire Department – $94,763
Willington Hill Fire Department – $14,630
Senators Dodd and Lieberman have a long history of advocating for fire safety. In 2000, Dodd authored and Lieberman cosponsored the FIRE Act, which gives local fire departments the ability to purchase new equipment and initiate education and training programs. In 2003, Dodd authored and Lieberman cosponsored the SAFER Act, a law that gives local fire departments the ability to alleviate critical shortfalls in professional and volunteer personnel. Since the SAFER and FIRE Acts were enacted, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security, has distributed over 470 grants for a total of more than $47 million in Connecticut to help fire departments strengthen their response capabilities.
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