By Staff
WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, Sunday announced that the Department of Homeland Security has awarded the Pokagon Volunteer Fire Department $36,350 under the Assistance for Firefighters Grant Program. This grant program is in support of America's firefighters as first responders in the neighborhoods and communities they serve.
This grant will enable the folks at the Pokagon Fire Department to purchase much needed state-of-the-art equipment while keeping their firefighters safer in the line of duty."
Upton is a strong supporter of the Assistance for Firefighters Grant program which helps our nation's firefighters, both volunteer and professional, do their jobs by providing funds that can be used for training programs and for the purchase of firefighting equipment.
This 22nd round of grants provides more than $24,464,554 to help local fire departments fund the purchase of firefighting equipment, fund firefighter health and safety programs, enhance emergency medical services programs and conduct fire education and prevention programs.
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFGP) awards one-year grants directly to fire departments to support the nation's firefighters and the services they deliver. For the 2004 program, Congress appropriated, and President Bush signed into law, $750 million in direct assistance to firefighters to improve the effectiveness of firefighting operations, firefighter health and safety programs and to establish or expand fire prevention programs throughout the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security's Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP) administers the program, in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration.