SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE OVER $95K IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THE WILLIAMSTOWN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT IN OSWEGO COUNTY

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $95,362 in federal funding for the Williamstown Volunteer Fire Department in Oswego County. The funding was allocated through the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) and will be used to replace 15 self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) devices, which help firefighters breathe clean air. The department’s current SCBAs are 18 years old.

“It is essential that we provide our firefighters with the equipment they need to stay safe on the job,” said Senator Schumer. “Our first responders are our local heroes and our first line of defense for safety and security. By allowing the courageous firefighters of the Williamstown Volunteer Fire Department to purchase new breathing equipment, this grant will help ensure their health and safety in any emergency.”

“This funding is great news for the Williamstown Volunteer Fire Department, which will now be able to purchase new SCBA devices. Up-to-date equipment like this is critical for the health and safety of our first responders, and it will help them better respond to emergencies in their communities,” said Senator Gillibrand. “We need to do everything we can to support our first responders, and I will always fight in the Senate to make sure they are given the resources they need.”

“We’re very grateful for the AFG program, it’s great. We’ve won in the past and it helped move our department forward,” said Assistant Fire Chief Ralph Connor, Williamstown Volunteer Fire Department.

The AFG Program is 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 AFG Program can be found here.

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