WASHINGTON – Congressman Spencer Bachus (AL-6) announced that four fire departments in the 6th District have been awarded grants totaling $478,124.
"Firefighters are on the front lines every day, protecting lives and property in the community. They deserve modern equipment and the best in safety gear. This grant program helps ensure that fire companies have the necessary resources to quickly and effectively respond to emergency calls," Bachus said.
Bachus announced grants for the following departments.
West Chilton County Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department - $176,225 and $42,797
Two separate grants. $175,225 under Vehicle Acquisition for the purchase of a new tanker and $42,797 under Operations and Safety for turnout gear and an extrication tool for responding to vehicle accidents.
"We are grateful to receive these grants, which will save money for our local community. The new tanker is needed because fire hydrants are in short supply in some of the areas we serve. The new extrication tool will help us respond to moving vehicle accidents," said West Chilton County Chief Steve Tate.
Pea Ridge Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue - $17,089
Operations and Safety Grant for new fire hoses to allow the department to purchase fire hoses that are compatible with those in neighboring fire companies. The Pea Ridge department’s fire hoses are three inches in diameter; other department use hoses that are five inches in diameter.
"We thank Congressman Bachus and his staff for the assistance they provided," said Chief John Parker.
Warrior River Volunteer Fire Department - $213,750
Vehicle Acquisition Grant for a new tanker truck. There is little access to water in the rural communities served by the department.
"Grants like these are great for small departments trying to live off small donations. This is the best thing that has ever happened to us. We are tickled to death," said Michael Chaney of the Warrior River Volunteer Fire Department.
Riverside Fire and Rescue – $28,263
Operations and Safety Grant for replacement of supply line hoses with large diameter hoses to maximize water pressure in areas with little water pressure.
"We are ecstatic about receiving this grant. We diligently try to keep our fire department at the ready, and that is hard to do in these days of limited funding. We have to depend, on a certain degree, on grants like these to keep our department at the level of performance the public expects," said Riverside Mayor Rusty Jessup.
Funds awarded under the Assistance for Fire Fighters Grant program are used to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical services organizations. Only the applications most closely conforming to program priorities are considered and scored by peer review panels.
The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.