SYRACUSE, NY – U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Representative Dan Maffei today announced that the Minoa Fire Department has been awarded $23,731 in Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Minoa Fire Department will use this grant to purchase a large-diameter fire hose.
“These much-needed funds will allow the Minoa Fire Department to invest in the equipment they need to do their jobs effectively and save lives,” said Senator Schumer. “These funds will allow our local heroes to continue their important work of keeping the community safe. Making sure the brave men and women that serve in our fire departments have the resources they need will always be a top priority of mine.”
“This is a great investment for the Minoa Fire Department,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This grant will provide the department with a new life-saving fire hose, which is one of the most critical pieces of equipment at a fire department. Making sure it is up-to-date and in great working condition, will help firefighters save more lives and keep more families safe.”
“This is great news for the Minoa Fire Department,” said Rep. Maffei, who wrote a letter of support to FEMA on behalf of the Minoa Fire Department’s grant application. “The Minoa Fire Department is dedicated to keeping the community safe, and they need modernized, high-quality equipment to continue doing their jobs effectively. This funding will help the Department replace 3,000 feet of fire hose that has become worn and damaged after decades of heavy use.”
“We’re very thankful to the Congressional delegation for all the work that went into securing this grant,” said Minoa Fire Chief Erich Schepp. “This money will be used to purchase a fire hose. Although it’s a basic tool, it’s one of the most important ones that we use and over time it does take a beating. This year alone we removed at least 12 sections of hose out of service due to damage and wear and tear.”
The AFG program is a competitive grant program to help firefighters and other first responders enhance their ability to protect the health and safety of the public and to obtain critically needed resources, personal protective equipment, firefighting and emergency vehicles, and training to improve the capability to respond to fires and emergencies of all types.