By Staff
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) today announced that the Department of Homeland Security has awarded Southwest Michigan's Public Safety Education Program (PSEP) $37,800 under the Assistance for Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program.
The PSEP serves all of Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties and the grant will help continue their mission to make available quality smoke alarms to all homeowners, particularly seniors, in the three counties.
The PSEP will partner with all of the fire departments in the three counties to install the smoke detectors.
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 Fire Prevention and Safety aspect of the AFG program reserves the highest priority for projects focusing on the prevention of fire-related injuries to children.
The Fire Prevention and Safety grants are made available to fire departments and other organizations, especially national, state, local, and community organizations that are recognized specifically for their experience and expertise in fire prevention or safety programs and activities. Many of these awards represent innovative solutions for the delivery of fire prevention activities throughout the United States.
The Assistance for Firefighters Grant Program is administered by the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and assists rural, urban and suburban fire departments throughout the United States. These funds are used by the nation's firefighters to increase the effectiveness of firefighting operations, implement fire fighter health and safety programs, purchase new equipment, improve emergency medical service programs, and to enhance fire prevention and safety programs.
Upton is a member of the Fire Services Caucus and is a long-time advocate of the Firefighters Grant Program.