PRESS RELEASE
Mayor Nicole LaChapelle and Fire Chief Christopher Norris announced recently that the fire department was awarded two federal Homeland Security Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) in the amount of $565,000. These funds will be used to purchase a new Brush Truck, air filling system, and all new self-contained breathing apparatus.
Chief Norris stated, “It’s critical we continue to invest in the safety of our personnel and provide them the best resources possible to do their job. In these challenging financial times, the fire department found alternative funding to offset stress on the city budget to procure these resources. These grant funds will help propel the department forward to meet the growing demands for service and increase the safety of our personnel.”
Mayor LaChapelle said upon hearing the grant news, “Across all city departments, we are tenacious in pursuing grant opportunities to shift funding away from the approved budget and substantial capital items. Congratulations to Chief Norris and his team on submitting a very compelling application.”
The AFG is a nationally competitive grant for fire departments to apply for equipment, training, and vehicles based on risk analysis and vulnerabilities. Each year, approximately 18,000 applications are received, with 200 grants awarded to purchase new vehicles and 2,000 awards for the purchase of equipment. These funds will be used to purchase the new vehicle and equipment which were all on the fire department capital improvements plan. The department will be working on finalizing the specifications for the vehicle and equipment over the next few weeks.
