KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response, announced 347 grants to fire departments throughout the U.S. in the twenty-eighth round of the fiscal year 2003 Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. The grants will ultimately total approximately 7,000 awards worth $750 million in direct assistance to firefighters. Included in the announcement of this latest round were awards for 12 communities in Missouri.
"President Bush, Secretary Ridge and I continue commitment to support America's firefighters with the distribution of these critical funds, and look to completing the 2003 AFG program early in 2004," said Brown.
This twenty-eighth round of grants provides over $40 million to help local fire departments fund the purchase of firefighting equipment, fund firefighter health and safety programs, enhance emergency medical services programs, and conduct fire prevention and safety programs. Since June, over 7600 fire departments have received over $604 million to support their role as first responders in the neighborhoods and communities they serve as firefighters.
Grants have been made available to the following fire departments in Missouri:
| Rock Community Fire Protection District | Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety | $19,440 |
| Lake Forest Estates Volunteer Fire Department | Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety | $48,251 |
| Nevada Fire Department | Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety | $71,833 |
| Butler Fire Department | Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety | $27,066 |
| Jasper Farmers Fire Protection Association | Firefighting Vehicle | $157,500 |
| Independence Fire Department | Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety | $327,369 |
| Liberty Fire Department | Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety | $51,214 |
| Pleasant Hope Fire & Rescue | Firefighting Vehicle | $37,800 |
| Neosho Fire Department | Fire Prevention | $50,144 |
| Plato Rural Fire Protective Association | Firefighting Vehicle | $90,000 |
| Lewistown Volunteer Fire Department | Firefighting Vehicle | $52,155 |
| Belle Volunteer Fire Department | Firefighting Vehicle | $117,000 |
The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), administers the Assistance for Firefighters Grant Program. The program assists rural, urban and suburban fire departments throughout the United States. A list of all current award recipients announced to date is posted on the USFA web site at http://www.usfa.fema.gov/grants . Future grant recipients will be listed as awards are made.
On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all haza...