Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) announced today that the Jackson First Aid Squad has received an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) award for over $117,000 to purchase emergency response gear, such as helmets, eye protection, protective coats, pants and boots.

    "This FEMA grant will help protect first aid personnel as they respond to help those in need in Jackson Township and beyond,” said Smith, a long-time member of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus who helped create the grant program in 2000, which is also open to Emergency Medical Services (EMS). “EMS crews need the proper equipment to protect themselves in emergency environments. Jackson is an all-volunteer company and its members need this funding to more safely respond to their emergency calls.”

    The funds will be used for the purchase of sets of turnout gear for the all-volunteer Jackson First Aid Squad, which has about 80 members, who provide coverage—at least two ambulances at all times—from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. seven days a week.

    The award, for $117,064, comes through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grants 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 EMS organizations 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.

    Chief Alfred Couceiro said members, who respond to 2,300 calls per year, currently don’t wear the type of protective gear the grant will provide.

    “This is an enormous opportunity for us,” Couceiro said. “We need to keep our members safe, and this grant gives us the funding necessary to do that properly. Every one of our members will be protected to the level recommended by national standards.”

    This is round 3 of the competitive FY 2014 fire grant announcements. Congress created the program to upgrade capabilities of local firefighters and EMS personnel to respond to fires and fire-related hazards, such as vehicular accidents.

    Congressman Smith, who represents New Jersey’s Fourth Congressional District in the House of Representatives, has offices in Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean Counties. The Monmouth County office is located at 112 Village Center Drive, Raintree Towne Center, 2^nd floor in Freehold. The phone number is (732) 780-3035. The Ocean County office, reachable at (609) 286-2571,  is located at the crossroads of Route 539 and Route 537 in Plumsted.