WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Frank A. LoBiondo (R-2nd) on Monday, Dec. 29 announced that the City of North Wildwood Fire Department will receive $100,768 in federal funding from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program.
According to a release, this award follows two previous grants of $48,275 (August 2003) and $61,659 (January 2005). To date, nearly $18.6 million has been awarded locally to 110 organizations in the Second Congressional District since the program began in 2001.
“This is outstanding news for not only for the fire department but for the entire city of North Wildwood,” said LoBiondo. “Many of us take comfort in knowing that if there is an emergency, the men and women of our fire and rescue units will be there. I will continue to support critical programs like AFG to ensure they have the resources needed to keep our communities safe.”
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program awards grants directly to fire departments and emergency services to support their efforts to protect the communities they serve.
For the 2008 program, Congress appropriated, and President Bush signed into law, $560 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 six years, 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 February 2008.
