Belleplain Rescuers Get First Fed Grant

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Frank A. LoBiondo (R-2nd) on Wwednesday announced that the Belleplain Emergency Corps was awarded $24,833 in federal funding for the purchase of protective equipment for their EMTs.
This is the emergency medical services organization’s first federal grant under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFGP). To date, 105 of New Jersey’s Second Congressional District fire and rescue organizations have received more than $15.4 million since the program began in 2001.
“Day in and day out, the men and women of our fire and rescue units are the first responders to emergency events in our communities. I am pleased that the Belleplain Emergency Corps will receive this federal funding – a symbol of the federal government’s continued support for their selfless service in our community,” said LoBiondo.
“Fantastic!” exclaimed Rescue Chief Bill King of the Belleplain Emergency Corps. “This is our first time for a grant and we are really excited. It was a real surprise and great to hear from the Congressman about this award. We appreciate his continued support.”
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) awards one-year grants directly to fire departments and emergency services to support their efforts to protect the communities they serve. For the 2007 program, Congress appropriated, and President Bush signed into law, $492.3 million in direct assistance to obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources required to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP) administers the program, in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration. For the last five years, Congressman LoBiondo’s office has hosted local seminars for area fire departments to highlight the benefits of this grant program, with the most recent seminar in March 2007.