Press Release
Rep. Smith Says Lakehurst Fire Co. Slated to Receive $30KFunds will help first responders purchase critical equipment Last year, the company received $76k for breathing gear
U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) said a federal grant in the amount of $30,477 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been awarded to Lakehurst Volunteer Fire Company No. 1, headquartered on Proving Ground Road in the historic town of Lakehurst Borough, to purchase a critically-needed self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) compressor and filling station. This year’s award is in addition to a $76,609 grant the company received last year.
“The Lakehurst Volunteer Fire Company has a long history of protecting the citizens of the Lakehurst area, as well as being on alert to help protect the Lakehurst side of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst,” said Smith. “I am pleased to have had a role in securing this funding for equipment which will help keep both the firefighters—and the community they protect—safer.” Smith worked with Fire Chief Ed Seaman at the fire company to support the grant, writing to the highest grant official at FEMA, Assistant Administrator Brian Kamoie, in February in strong support of the Lakehurst application, and explaining the fire company's needs. The funding will cover the cost of the new compressor and filling station which will replace its current compressor, which is over 30 years old. The new compressor will fill SCBA breathing gear the company purchased with last year’s grant. “The Lakehurst Volunteer Fire Company No.1 is a small company that relies on grants and donations,” said Chief Seaman. “The AFG Grant that we have been awarded is crucial in our firefighting operations and safety. The SCBA Compressor and fill station will allow our new SCBA packs to be filled efficiently and safely.” “The members of the fire department are grateful for the opportunity to apply for such items, as our funding and donations have been reduced drastically over the past two years,” the Chief added. Historically, the department has responded to the infamous Hindenburg crash of 1937, as well as Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and Hurricane Irene in 2011 when it both served borough residents and provided mutual aid to neighboring towns in Ocean County. The funding comes through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Operations and Safety Grant Program. It is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration. The purpose of AFG is to award grants directly to fire departments and non-affiliated Emergency Medical Services organizations (EMS) to protect both the health and safety of the public, and first-responder personnel as well. A competitive process overseen by fire service subject matter experts awards grants to applicants whose requests are aligned with the priorities of the AFG Program. For more about the FY 2014 AFG Program please visithttp://www.fema.gov/assistance-firefighters-grant. ### |