BY STAFF WRITER MIKE DAVIS - A federal grant will be used to provide firefighters with air to breathe while responding to emergencies.

Fire District No. 3 was awarded a $54,273 grant from the Department of Homeland Security, which will be used to replace an aging oxygen cascade system, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-4th Dist., announced Friday.

The system is used to fill air cylinders on the self-contained breathing apparatuses.

"This grant will help upgrade Jackson Fire District No. 3's critical ability to provide firefighters with proper self-contained breathing apparatuses as they perform their jobs," Smith said in a news release. "It will help them obtain equipment to keep them as safe as possible as they go into smoke-filled environments."

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“By providing New Jersey’s local fire departments the latest equipment and training through federal investments like this, we are letting our first responders know that their safety and ability to do their jobs efficiently is paramount," Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said in a separate statement.

The grant was distributed as part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, used to provide critically-needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles and training for fire companies and EMS organizations.

"We will be utilizing the funding to replace an over 20-year-old cascade system that continuously keeps breaking down and causing a financial burden on the district," Jackson Fire District No. 3 Chief Timothy Carson said. "As a combination fire department made up of 50 volunteers and 11 career firefighters, we are proud to serve our residences with the best possible service and this grant will definitely help us continue our mission.”

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The Jackson award is one of 48th AFG grant distributed to a New Jersey fire department or EMS organization. Other grants in Monmouth County and Ocean County went to:

Funding for the AFG Operations and Safety Grant Program comes from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Fire departments and EMS organizations apply for grants through a competitive process overseen by experts, according to the news release.

This article ran in the Sunday print edition of the Asbury Park Press on Sept. 3, 2016, and was was published online at: http://www.app.com/story/news/local/public-safety/2016/09/02/jackson-fire-afg-grant-fire-chris-smith/89786690/