Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $19,750 in federal funding for the City of Cortland Fire Department. These federal dollars will be used by the City of Cortland Fire Department to provide comprehensive life safety education programs to the citizens of Cortland and the surrounding mutual aid areas. The funding is allocated through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
“This is a great investment for Cortland,” Senator Gillibrand said. “This federal investment will help improve the overall safety and well-being of the community by providing early access to crucial lifesaving tools like CPR and defibrillation. I will continue working to ensure our first responders have the tools and resources they need to keep our communities safe.”
“This is a fire prevention grant in which we will provide free CPR training to the public with emphasis on the elderly, disabled and impoverished, as well as those that may care for such individuals,” said Charles Glover, Fire Chief, City of Cortland. “This will further our future goals of implementing a program to increase access to early defibrillation throughout our community. Early access of CPR and defibrillation will help to ensure that the public in Cortland has the best chance available to survive cardiac related emergencies”.
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, established by DHS and FEMA, is part of an effort to increase the nation’s emergency response preparation. This program provides federal funding to first responder organizations for the acquisition of personal protective equipment, firefighting vehicles, and emergency response equipment. The funds also help provide emergency response trainings.