Menendez, Lautenberg Announce Federal Funding for Tuckerton Fire Department

WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today announced that the Tuckerton Fire Company will receive a federal grant of $68,400to invest in new firefighter equipment. The funding is awarded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighter Grant (AFG) program.

"This federal grant will help ensure Tuckerton's firefighters areproperly equippedwhen theyanswer the call,"said Senator Lautenberg, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, which funds the AFG program. "Investing in first responders is critical to ensuring the public'ssafety,andwe'll continueworkinghard toprovidecommunitiesthe resources they need to protect theirresidents."

"Our firefighters are ready to give everything they've got in responding to any emergency that can erupt in our communities. It is only right that we do everything we can to provide our firefighters with the equipment they need to do their jobs safely and effectively,"said Senator Menendez."I am proud to support the Assistance To Firefighters Grant program, which provides federal funds directly to communities like Tuckerton to help meet their equipment and training needs. Our dedicated firefighters can count on me to fight for continued federal resources to help their efforts to keep communities safe."

The grant will be used to obtainSelf-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) units for the all-volunteer fire department. The grant willensurethe department has new SCBA units forits front-line vehicles: two engines and a rescue truck.

"The timing couldn't be better for our department being that our SCBA cylinders are about to expire,"said Tuckerton Fire Chief Lee Eggert, who noted that the department is required to replace the oxygen-containing cylinders after 15 years. "We certainly appreciate the efforts of the senators in voting for the AFG program and assisting us with the federal agencies to help us get the grant."

Chief Eggert said he appreciated last year's AFG/SAFER grant writing workshop held by SenatorsLautenbergand Menendez. Chief Eggert also thanked Jeff Ciccone, a volunteer firefighter with the Absecon and Belmar fire departments, for his advice in writing the grant application.

The AFG program provides funding to enhance response capabilities, and to more effectively protect the health and safety of the public and emergency response personnel.

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