LocalFireHouse.com

Williamstown Fire District Awarded AFG Grant in round 36

Posted: February 26th, 2005 :: Williamstown Fire Department

OLVER ANNOUNCES $155,682 FOR WILLIAMSTOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT


WASHINGTON – Congressman John W. Olver (D-1st District) announced that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has awarded $155,682 to the Williamstown Fire Department. The funding will support critical needs of the department in the area of operations and firefighter safety. The Williamstown Fire Department is one of 347 departments across the country to receive funding through this latest disbursement of the 2004 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.

“Our firefighters deserve the best training and equipment to do their jobs safely and effectively,” Olver said. “First responders risk their lives every day for their communities. The new equipment, which the department cannot afford with its current budget, will enhance the safety of firefighters, as well as the community members they serve and protect.”

The funding will be used for three purposes. First, the department will install a Vehicle Exhaust Extrication System to bring the fire station into compliance with current safety and environmental standards. The system will capture 100 percent of the diesel exhaust emissions in the station. Second, Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA’s) will be replaced with a new, state-of-the-art system for each firefighter. The new air-packs are smaller and lighter and contain safety features such as integrated visual and audible warnings for emergencies. Finally, the department will replace its primary attack hose, some of which has been in service since 1950. The new hose is lighter weight, which will reduce firefighter fatigue, and is color coded to each apparatus to improve safety and accountability.

Craig A. Pedercini, Chief of the Williamstown Fire Department, said, “I’m very grateful that Congress and the President saw fit to establish this federal grant program to support local fire departments. I thank Congressman Olver for his support, and I’m very pleased that the Department of Homeland Security has recognized Williamstown’s needs and awarded us these funds. These items have been department priorities for a number of years and they would not have been possible, in these tight fiscal times, without this grant program. This new equipment will increase the effectiveness of firefighting operations and protect the health and safety of our men and women, who volunteer hundreds of hours each year, to protect the citizens and property of our community.”

The 2004 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Domestic Preparedness in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). The program awards one-year grants directly to local fire departments, enhancing their abilities to respond to fire and fire-related hazards in their communities. Under the 2004 program, awards to fire departments around the country will be announced each week beginning in June 2004, with the competitive funds obligated by the end of September 2005.

More News

FIRE COMPANY MEETING September 1st, 2010 :: VALLEY FALLS FIRE DEPARTMENT

Village Board Meeting September 1st, 2010 :: VALLEY FALLS FIRE DEPARTMENT

Weekly Department Drill September 1st, 2010 :: VALLEY FALLS FIRE DEPARTMENT

Fall Festival August 31st, 2010 :: Pomona Fire Protection District 2

Indy of Sonoma August 23rd, 2010 :: Bloomfield Volunteer Fire Department