[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – 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 a $1,492,545 grant to the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois for fire prevention and safety.  

“This federal funding will support the efforts of firefighters and first-responders in the University of Illinois community to prevent and fight fires and prepare for other types of emergencies,” Durbin said. “We must ensure fire departments have the tools necessary to protect the students, families, homes, and businesses in Champaign and throughout Illinois.”

The funding is provided through the DHS’s Fire Prevention and Safety Grant (FP&S) program, which seek to strengthen the Nation’s overall level of preparedness and ability to respond to fire and fire related hazards. In Fiscal Year 2013, DHS will award approximately $320.9 million directly to fire departments and non-affiliated EMS organizations to enhance their response capabilities and to more effectively protect the health and safety of the public and emergency response personnel with respect to fire and all other hazards.