Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced today $343,962 in federal funding for the Village of Victor Fire Department to purchase new protective equipment to respond to emergencies and medical care more effectively. The money was allocated through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant.
“This funding will help equip the Victor Fire Department with the tools necessary to save lives,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I will continue working to ensure that our first responders and community residents have the resources they need to keep our neighborhoods safe.”
Victor Fire Department Assistant Chief Joe Murphy said “These public safety agencies provide emergency services to the Towns of Victor and Fishers and respond to over 3,700 calls each year. The combined population protected by these agencies is more than 26,000 which is nearly 25% of the entire population of Ontario County. Without this grant, it would take several years along with an increase in property taxes to purchase this required equipment.”
The Village of Victor Fire Department along with the Fishers Fire District, Farmington Fire Department, and Victor Farmington Ambulance will use these federal funding to purchase six radios for their stations, thirty mobile radios for all vehicles, and eighty six portable radios. These departments service a population of more than 26,000.
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, established by FEMA within the Department of Homeland Security, is part of an effort to increase the nation’s emergency response preparation. This program provides federal funding to first responder organizations for the acquisition of personal protective equipment, firefighting vehicles, and emergency response equipment. The funds also help provide emergency response trainings.