SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE OVER $426K IN FEDERAL FUNDS FOR ALBANY FIRE DEPARTMENT
Federal Funding Will Be Used to Purchase New Training Center
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $426,444 in federal funding for the Albany Fire Department. The funding was allocated through the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG). Specifically, Albany Fire Department will use the funding to purchase a new training center.
“It is essential that we provide our firefighters with the tools they need to do their jobs effectively, and I am proud to have fought to bring this critical federal investment to the Albany Fire, Department” said Senator Schumer. “Our first responders are our local heroes and our primary line of defense for safety and security—it is critical that we do all we can to ensure that they are well equipped and prepared to take on any emergency.”
These federal funds will allow our first responders to purchase the up-to-date equipment they need to do their jobs safely and effectively,” said Senator Gillibrand. “We need to do everything we can to protect our first responders when they risk their lives, and I will always fight in the Senate to make sure they are given the support they deserve.”
“Mayor Kathy Sheehan and members of the Albany Fire Department would like to thank Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Congressman Paul Tonko, and especially Senator Chuck Schumer, who recently came to Albany to publicly show his backing for this needed Training System, for their continued support of the City of Albany and the Fire Service,” Chief of Albany Fire Department Warren W. Abriel Jr.
Schumer, during a visit to Albany Fire Department last month, pushed for this very center. He explained the Albany Fire Department has previously had to rent the use of training space from neighboring communities. This new center will allow Albany Fire Department to conduct vital live training right in Albany.
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. More information on the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program can be accessed at http://www.fema.gov/firegrants.
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