Van Hollen, Hoyer, Edwards Announce Grant Award to Prince George’s County Fire Department
Hyattsville,
Jul 26, 2012 -
Today Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer, and Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards (all D-MD), announced that the Prince George’s County Fire Department (PGCFD) was awarded a $2,589,516 grant through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program. This funding will be used to hire 18 full-time firefighters.
“First responders put their lives on the line every day to protect our families and our homes, and we owe it to them to provide all the resources necessary to do their jobs. This vital funding will go a long way by allowing Prince George’s County to hire 18 talented ‘frontline’ firefighters,” said Congressman Van Hollen. “We will continue working diligently to ensure that these brave men and women of have the funding and equipment they need to perform their duties and serve our community.”
“Thanks to this SAFER grant awarded to the Prince George’s County Fire Department, our community will have 18 additional firefighters on the job, responding to emergencies and keeping our residents safe,” stated Congressman Hoyer. “With our economy still recovering and our local governments confronting tough budgetary choices, these Federal investments are critical to ensuring fire stations in Maryland and across the country have the personnel needed to protect our communities. I have consistently fought to protect these vital investments in our community, and will continue working to ensure our fire departments have the resources needed to hire, train, and retain skilled firefighters.”
“This SAFER grant funding is critical for Prince George’s County communities and residents who will now have 18 additional firefighters on duty,” said Congresswoman Edwards. “The federal government plays an important role in helping shoulder the costs of emergency preparedness, and today that call has been answered once again. This latest federal investment ensures our communities will have the first responders necessary to meet the emergency needs of our county.”
The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants Program provides funding directly to volunteer, combination, and career fire departments so that they can increase the number of trained, frontline firefighters available in their community. Representatives Hoyer, Van Hollen, and Edwards have fought to protect these investments so that Prince George’s County has the necessary personnel and resources to respond to emergencies.
For more information on grants available to fire departments and emergency responders, visit http://www.fema.gov/firegrants/. This site also offers resources to help fire departments prepare and submit grant requests.
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Congressman Chris Van Hollen
