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.

Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) today announced the Senate’s passage of the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009.  The legislation includes four key bills that will designate two new trails and allow for expanded activities at two national parks.

Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT), Joe Lieberman (ID-CT), John Kerry (D-MA), and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) applauded today’s Senate passage of their bill to extend the designation of the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley as a Heritage Corridor through 2015. This legislation, which will provide crucial protection to one of the last undeveloped regions in the Northeast, was approved by the Senate as part of a package of public lands bills.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) released the following statement today on the recent news that the number of Connecticut households applying for home heating assistance has more than tripled as compared with this time last year.  Last winter, more than 86,000 households in Connecticut received assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a number which is expected to increase dramatically before the season is over.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to immediately investigate the cases of contaminated candy made in China and distributed  in Connecticut over the last few days.  Dodd wrote to FDA Commissioner Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach urging the FDA to take immediate action and ensure that no additional Americans are put at risk. 

Eleven Connecticut cities and towns will receive equipment worth a total of $148,870 to help improve first responder capabilities, Senators Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman announced today. The equipment will be provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under the Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program (CEDAP). The initiative provides resources such as communications interoperability equipment, information sharing technology, chemical detection devices, sensors, personal protective equipment, and rescue tools. The CEDAP also provides first responders with training in how to use the equipment, devices, and technology.

Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) today announced they secured more than $19.2 billion for the Connecticut defense industry and $106 million for military construction projects in the state.  The funding, which was approved by the Senate today as part of the Defense and the Military Construction/Veterans Affairs Appropriations Acts, will boost Connecticut’s economy and help ensure that soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen - active duty, national guard, and reserve forces, have the resources and support they need to successfully perform their missions. 

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, announced today that Connecticut will receive more than $25 million for communities who have been affected most by the foreclosure crisis.  The funding is provided through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant Program under The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. 

Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) today announced $677,693 in federal grants to five Connecticut cities and towns for vehicle acquisition and improving operations and firefighter safety. These awards were made possible as part of the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program by the U.S. Fire Administration. In fiscal year 2007, the AFG program will award approximately $490 million to fire and EMS departments across America.

“Today we are another step closer to ensuring that the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor will be preserved and enjoyed for years to come.  ‘The Last Green Valley,’ as the corridor is often called, is one of the most extraordinary rural landscapes in the Northeast, and I commend my colleagues on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee for recognizing its value and approving legislation to extend its designation as a National Heritage Corridor.  I take great pride in supporting efforts to make this region a self-sustaining heritage area, and will continue to work toward passage of this legislation in the full Senate.”