Durbin Announces More Than $404,000 Investment in Illinois First- Responder Capabilities
[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded $404,538 in grants to five fire departments throughout Illinois. Today’s funding will support and improve the capability of each department to respond to fires and other types of emergencies.
“This funding will ensure that when fires or other emergencies occur in our communities, our nation’s firefighters and first-responders have access to the resources they need to do their jobs well and the equipment needed to help protect them as they protect us,” Durbin said.
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. The AFG will award approximately $288.8 million in competitive grants to fire departments and non-affiliated EMS organizations during FY 2013.
Under this announcement, the following fire departments will receive funding for operations and safety:
- North Riverside Fire Department; North Riverside, Illinois: $40,945 in funding;
- Park Ridge Fire Department; Park Ridge, Illinois: $67,500 in funding;
- Glenside Fire Protection District; Glendale Heights, Illinois: $70,560 in funding;
- Wilmette Fire Department; Wilmette, Illinois: $118,800 in funding;
- Urbana Fire Department; Urbana, Illinois: $106,733 in funding.