Mountain State Times

Washington, DC – On June 22, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $201,332 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the Wallace Volunteer Fire Department, the City of Morgantown and the Great Cacapon Volunteer Fire Department. The funding is made possible through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program and will provide critical resources to the cities’ fire departments to equip and train emergency personnel, improve efficiency and promote public safety.

“Our brave West Virginia firefighters risk their lives every day to protect our communities, and we must ensure they have the necessary equipment and resources to do their jobs safely and effectively. I am pleased FEMA is investing more than $201K to strengthen fire safety in Wallace, Morgantown and Great Cacapon,” said Senator Manchin. “The funding will strengthen emergency preparedness across our great state and I look forward to seeing the positive impacts of the investments. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue advocating for resources to support our firefighters as they work tirelessly to protect West Virginians across the Mountain State.”

The AFG Program is one of three grant programs under DHS and FEMA that focuses on enhancing firefighter safety and public safety as they relate to fire hazards. Since FY 2001, the AFG Program has awarded approximately $8.1 billion in grants to provide critically-needed resources that equip and train emergency personnel to recognized standards, enhance operational efficiencies, foster interoperability and support community resilience.

Individual awards listed below:

• $97,278 – Wallace Volunteer Fire Department

• $52,626 – City of Morgantown

• $51,428 – Great Cacapon Volunteer Fire Department

Original source can be found here.