Woodbine Volunteer Fire Department Submits Grant Applications

WOODBINE – The Woodbine Volunteer Fire Department has filed two applications, one local and one regional,  for funding of critical gear and equipment under the 2015 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program, part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), within the US Department of Homeland Security. 
The local application, in the amount of $28,573, would fund the purchase of four complete sets of turn-out gear (pants, boots, coats, gloves, helmets, and hoods) for four active firefighters.  The application also requests funding for a portable generator, a thermal imaging camera, and other specialized equipment. 
“Clearly, there is a gap in gear and equipment that needs to be bridged,” Mayor Pikolycky said.  “This AFG application will do just that in a cost-effective way.”
Submitted in partnership with the Dennis Township, Ocean View, and Belleplain Volunteer Fire Departments, the regional application would fund the purchase of 67 sets of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), to replace obsolete or damaged units, as well as four additional units for firefighters.  The total amount requested under this regional application is $485,590.
Pikolycky noted that, given the common need for SCBA, the size of the service areas of the fire departments and the relatively small budget of each, a regional AFG application made the most sense.  “By taking a regional approach, we are able to leverage each department’s limited funding to effectively address a critical need in all of our communities,” said Mayor Pikolycky.” These departments already back each other up in emergencies.”  
The AFG requires the applicant to contribute to the purchase of the gear or equipment requested in the application, and this amount varies based on the size of the population served by the applicant. 
For Woodbine, its share is 5%, or $1,428 for the local application and $24,279 for the regional, which will be shared by the 4 applicants.  
Since 2001, the AFG Program has helped firefighters and other first responders nationwide to obtain critically-needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources necessary to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.
For FY 2015, the AFG is expected to make approximately 2,500 awards totaling $306 million.  Announcements of successful applicants are expected to be made weekly to biweekly beginning in late April 2016 and running through September 2016.
“While the AFG Program receives applications from fire departments and rescue squads across the nation, I am confident that Woodbine has submitted two very strong proposals for funding,” Mayor Pikolycky concluded.  “To this extent, I am hopeful that our firefighters will be able to purchase the gear and equipment they need to keep themselves and our communities safe as they upgrade to current standards.”