WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-02) announced on Thursday, March 26, that the Villas Volunteer Fire Company will receive $42,731 in federal funding from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. The funding will go towards the purchase of air-packs and other needed equipment. This award is the fire company’s first grant under the program. To date, more than $19.3 million has been awarded locally to 113 organizations in the 2nd District since the program began in 2001.
“This is outstanding news for the volunteer firefighters of the Villas Fire Company and the residents of the community they serve,” said LoBiondo. “When there is an emergency, we know 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.”
“This is great news and we can certainly use the federal money,” said Villas Volunteer Fire Company Chief Andy Hilvert. “We have 40 volunteer firefighters to outfit and this grant will absolutely help. Our first time applying to the program, we are one for one.”
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 seven 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 February.
