Newark Secures $400K For Communications Equipment

Washington - U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today announced five New Jersey fire departments received a combined $2 million in federal funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) and Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) programs. These grants can be invested in staffing, recruiting, vehicle acquisition, training, equipment, personal protective equipment, health programs, and other support for stations and facilities.

"Emergencies won't wait for flush budget years - and neither can we," said Menendez. "All of us must step forward to make sure our communities have the personnel and equipment they need. These resources will help communities and towns across New Jersey - even in these tough economic situations - be safe."

"This critical federal funding will help staff the Orange Fire Department and increase recruiting efforts in New Jersey communities so that local departments are best prepared to handle emergencies safely and effectively," said Lautenberg, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, which funds the AFG and SAFER grant programs. "Firefighters are ready to roll at the sound of the alarm. We must be certain that our fire departments are sufficiently staffed and have the best equipment and training available to respond when an emergency strikes."

The $2,057,617 in federal funding will be distributed as follows:

SAFER Grant Program
• Orange - $1,238,623 to the Orange Fire Department for staffing.
• Princeton - $361,500 to the Princeton Fire Department for recruitment.
• Forked River - $48,600 to the Forked River Fire Department for recruitment.
• West Cape May - $8,900 to the West Cape May Volunteer Fire Company Inc. for recruitment.

AFG Grant Program
• Newark - $399,994 to the City of Newark Fire Department for the purchase of new radio communications technology.

The highly competitive SAFER grant program provides funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations in order to help them increase the number of trained "front line" firefighters in their communities.

The AFG grants are awarded to fire departments and EMS organizations to improve their capacity to protect the health and safety of the public, as well as that of first-responder personnel in fire related emergencies.

For more information about the programs, please visit: http://www.firegrantsupport.com/

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