U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $60,620 in federal funding for the Mendon Fire District. The funding was awarded through the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. Specifically, the grant will fund the establishment of a health and wellness program for firefighters. These funds will also enable the fire department to hire a health and wellness professional for the program. Finally, the fire department will use these funds to purchase new workout equipment for firefighters.
“This funding ensures that our local heroes will have the proper resources they need to protect this community,” said Senator Schumer. “These men and women are put in exhausting situations as part of their daily job. The least we can do is provide them with services that will help maintain their health. I’m committed to fighting for the resources our firefighters need serve this community as safely and effectively as possible.”
“These federal funds will allow our fire departments to invest in critical health and wellness programs for firefighters to do their jobs effectively,” said Senator Gillibrand. “We need to do everything we can to protect the men and women who risk their lives every day in the face of danger, and I will always fight in the Senate to make sure that our fire departments are funded and equipped.”
“We appreciate the efforts of Senators Schumer and Gillibrand in standing up for the Health and Wellness concerns that we have as firefighters in the state of New York,” said Dan Considine, Commissioner of the Mendon Volunteer Fire Department. “The equipment and services that we can pay for through the AFG will help us to stay on duty providing vital fire protection and EMS services for the Mendon Fire District.”
The Assistance to Firefighters Grants are administered by the Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency in cooperation with the Department’s United States Fire Administration. The grants are awarded on a competitive basis to the applicants that most closely address the program’s priorities and demonstrate financial need. Funding is allocated to strengthen the overall level of preparedness and ability to respond to fire and related hazards. More information on the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program can be accessed at http://www.fema.gov/firegrants.