Carper, Carney Announce $111,293 for Newark Fire Department’s Firefighter Operations and Safety

NEWARK, Del. – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and U.S. Representative John Carney (both D-Del.) announced a grant award of $111,293 to help support the operations and safety of firefighters at the Aetna Hose, Hook and Ladder Company in Newark. The Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) grant will allow the company to purchase 40 sets of protective gear, including pants, boots, helmets and coats.

“Firefighters are the first to arrive at emergency scenes in many of our communities and are prepared at every hour of every day to tame blazes, save lives, and protect properties,” said Senator Carper, co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus and Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “We have an obligation to protect these brave men and women by providing them with the necessary tools to get the job done and return home to their families unharmed. This grant will help us meet that responsibility and will help ensure that our firefighters in Newark have every advantage to keep themselves and those who they are protecting safe.”

“The hallmark of Delaware first responders is their unfailing willingness to put the safety of others ahead of their own.  Having joined many of them on ridealongs over the years, I know how dedicated they are to protecting our community,” said Congressman Carney, a member of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus.  “I also understand how important the right training and equipment is for their protection and safety.  The Assistance to Firefighters Grant announced today will help firefighters in the Aetna Company get the state-of-the-art equipment they need to protect all of us.   It’s an investment that will save lives and make all Delawareans safer.”

The objective of the AFG program is to strengthen the nation’s overall level of preparedness and ability to respond to fire and related hazards. The program is part of a federal initiative designed to enhance fire departments and un-affiliated EMS organization’s response capabilities. The funding aims to protect the health and safety of the public and emergency response personnel with respect to fire and all other hazards. Since 2001, the AFG has provided approximately $5.6 billion in grants to first-responder operations to obtain much-needed emergency response equipment, personal protective equipment, firefighting and emergency vehicles, and training. This funding was part of round 17 of the FY 2013 Assistance to Firefighters Grants program.