Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $62,381 in federal funding for the Hermon Volunteer Fire Department in St. Lawrence County. The funding was allocated through the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. Specifically, the Hermon Volunteer Fire Department will use the federal funding to purchase ten Self Contained Breathing Apparatus’s (SCBA) to help keep firefighters safe while responding to emergencies.
“With this funding, the first responders of the Hermon Volunteer Fire Department can focus on their important work knowing they have new, reliable and protective equipment,” said Senator Schumer. “This investment will help ensure that our local heroes can continue their life-saving work as effectively and safely as possible.”
“These federal funds will allow the Hermon Volunteer Fire Department to purchase the up-to-date equipment they need to do their jobs effectively and stay safe while they are protecting our communities,” said Senator Gillibrand. “We need to do everything we can to protect the men and women who risk their lives every day in the face of danger, and I will always fight in the Senate to make sure that our fire departments are funded and equipped.”
“Without this funding Fire Departments like Hermon would have a difficult time purchasing this much needed critical equipment” said Hermon Volunteer Fire Department Chief Christopher Stransky. “We are going to be replacing 10 SCBA with the funding. We are grateful that the Assistance Firefighters Grant is available to us so we can stay up to date on the equipment for the Fire fighters safety.”
The Assistance to Firefighters Grants are administered by the Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency in cooperation with the Department’s United States Fire Administration. The grants are awarded on a competitive basis to the applicants that most closely address the program’s priorities and demonstrate financial need. Funding is allocated to strengthen the overall level of preparedness and ability to respond to fire and related hazards. Funding is allocated to strengthen emergency preparedness and ability to respond to fire and related hazards. More information on the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program can be accessed at http://www.firegrantsupport.com/.
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