07.29.15

Durbin Announces $3.1 Million in Federal Funding for Illinois First-Responders

[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has awarded grants totaling $3,159,317 to communities throughout Illinois. Today’s funding will support and improve the capability of each department to respond to fires and other types of emergencies.

   

“This federal funding will ensure that when fires or other emergencies occur in our communities, our nation’s firefighters and first-responders have access to the best resources and the equipment necessary to help protect them as they protect us,” Durbin said.

   

The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Program

   

Under this announcement, the following fire departments and protection districts will receive funding for hiring and recruitment:

   

  • Mount Prospect Fire Department (Mount Prospect, Illinois): $1,385,184 in funding; and
  • Huntley Fire Protection District (Huntley, Illinois): $1,511,060 in funding. In April 2014, the Huntley Fire Protection District also received $333,023 in funding for operations and safety through the Assistance to Firefights Grant Program.

   

This funding is provided through the DHS’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program. The SAFER program seeks to enhance a department’s ability to maintain 24-hour staffing and ensures that the community has adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. This year, the program will award approximately $340 million directly to fire departments and volunteer support groups to expand the number of firefighters available to more effectively protect the health and safety of the public. 

   

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program

   

Under this announcement, the Manteno Community Fire Protection District in Manteno, Illinois will receive $238,096 for vehicle acquisition. Last week, the Manteno Community Fire Protection District also received $858,000 in funding for hiring through the SAFER program.

   

The Homer Fire Protection District in Homer, Illinois will also receive $24,977 in funding for operations and safety.

   

The funding is provided through the DHS’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program, which seeks to strengthen the nation’s overall level of preparedness and ability to respond to fire and fire related hazards. Since 2001, the AFG has provided approximately $5.25 billion in federal funding to first-responder organizations across the country to help purchase response equipment, personal protective equipment, training, and vehicles. This year, the AFG will award $304.5 million to first-responder organizations that need support to improve their capability to respond to fires and emergencies of all types.