Midwest—Stone Creek Valley Community Volunteer Fire Company, Petersburg, PA, pumper/tanker. Freightliner M2 106 crew cab and chassis; Cummins L9 360-hp engine; Hale Q-Max 1,500-gpm top-controls pump; APR polypropylene 2,000-gallon water tank; Newton 10-inch stainless-steel dump valve; All-Poly™ construction; full width and length hosebed. Dealer: Scott Boll, Midwest Fire, Luverne, MN.

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Ethan Myers
The Daily Astorian, Ore.
(TNS)

Mar. 1—WARRENTON — The fire department is pursuing several grants to replace essential pieces of aging equipment.

The City Commission on Tuesday unanimously authorized the fire department to apply for three grants through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

One grant would replace extrication equipment, known as the “Jaws of Life.”

The fire department’s equipment was purchased by the Hammond Fire Department in the 1980s and eventually relocated to Warrenton. While the tools work, they require yearly maintenance and the hydraulic fluid used is corrosive, Fire Chief Brian Alsbury said in a report to the city.

If the grant is acquired, the new extrication equipment — estimated to cost upward of $60,000 — would be battery-powered.

“The new systems are much fancier, much easier to move around and much easier to recharge and manipulate,” City Manager Esther Moberg told the City Commission.

Another grant would seek to replace an aging fire engine in Hammond.

E-2721, a 1988 fire engine, can no longer hold water because of a leaky tank and valves and is used as a backup. Alsbury said replacing the engine is long overdue.

“Hammond fire station currently only has one working engine and if that engine goes out of service during an emergency, Hammond would be unprotected until an engine arrived from Warrenton,” Alsbury said in his report, calling it a liability to the staff, fire department and city.

Alsbury also noted that the fire engine has a manual transmission, which only a few can operate.

The fire department is pursuing a Type 3 fire apparatus, estimated to cost around $460,000.

A third grant would add diesel exhaust removal systems to fire stations in Warrenton and Hammond.

The system in Warrenton has long been out of service and Hammond’s station was built without one. Prolonged exposure to diesel exhaust can increase risk of disease, Alsbury noted.

All three grants require matching funds from the city.

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WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, introduced bipartisan legislation to extend federal programs that help support local fire departments across the country. The programs are set to expire in the coming years. The bill would reauthorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, and the United States Fire Administration (USFA). The programs are set to expire in the coming years and are used by local fire departments use to address staffing needs, purchase equipment, develop fire training and education programs, and improve emergency medical services. In 2021, Michigan fire departments received more than $10.8 million from the AFG program and more than $8 million from the SAFER grant program. Peters introduced similar legislation that advanced in the Senate last Congress.

“Brave and courageous firefighters depend on critical federal programs to safeguard Michiganders and people across the nation from fires and other emergencies,” said Senator Peters. “By extending these important programs, this bipartisan legislation will help the federal government ensure dedicated first responders have the resources they need to safely fight fires and effectively protect communities.”

Fire departments use these federal programs to recruit and retain additional personnel, as well as buy up-to-date vehicles and equipment such as breathing air compressors, hoses, nozzles, and more. Fire stations also utilize the programs to fund safety training and technical rescue training, as well as health screenings for firefighters.

The Fire Grants and Safety Act reauthorizes SAFER, AFG, and the USFA until 2030. It authorizes $95 million for USFA – a nearly $20 million increase from current levels, and maintains currently authorized levels of funding for the SAFER and AFG programs.

Below are statements in support of Peters’ bipartisan legislation:

“Fire chiefs in Michigan use federal grants to replace aging equipment, train personnel, and ensure that our firefighters are safe as they put their lives on the line to protect communities,” said Fire Chief Johnny Menifee, President of the Michigan Association of Fire Chiefs. “It is essential that we continue to have access to these essential programs to strengthen our ability to respond to fires. Thank you to Senator Peters for leading this legislation, and for his continued support of fire stations in Michigan.”

“These critical federal programs help ensure that Michigan’s firefighters have what they need to save lives, and put out fires that threaten our homes, businesses, and schools,” said Fred Timpner, Executive Director of the Michigan Association of Fire Fighters. “By leading this legislation to reauthorize important grant programs that provide millions to our fire stations each year, Senator Peters continues to show his unwavering support for firefighters safe communities in Michigan and across the nation.”

“Firefighters in Michigan rely on these critical programs to increase staffing levels for the safety of our members and the citizens we protect.  In addition these programs also provide everything from health screenings to having the equipment we need to safeguard communities across the state,” said Matthew Sahr, President of the Michigan Professional Firefighters Union. “I am deeply grateful to Senator Peters for leading this legislation to ensure fire stations have increased federal support to ensure firefighters are protected in the line of duty.”

“With increasing apparatus costs, supply costs, personnel costs,

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) announced Wednesday that Lee Township will receive a $129,545 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This funding comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program. The Lee Township Fire Department will use the funding to purchase 10 new self-contained breathing apparatuses.  

“It’s critical that fire departments have the federal support they need to keep their equipment up-to-date to protect our firefighters and the communities they serve,” said Senator Peters, who serves as Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and has introduced legislation to extend this grant program. “I’m proud to have helped secure this funding for Lee Township to replace aging equipment so their first responders can continue to do their jobs safely and effectively.”

“Our firefighters put their lives on the line to protect our families, homes, and communities,” said Senator Stabenow. “These new resources will help keep the public safe and give our first responders the equipment they need to do their jobs more safely and effectively.”

“When we respond to an emergency, we need to know that our equipment is up-to-date. This funding is coming at a very good time, because it will allow our department to purchase new self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBA) to replace our current SCBA that will be deemed obsolete soon,” said Daryl Amrozowicz, Lee Township Fire Chief. “I want to thank Senators Peters and Stabenow for their support.”

More information about these grants can be found at: https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/firefighters.