TAllADEGA COUNTY – The Ironaton and and Oak Grove Fire Departments have received large grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security earlier this week. Congressman Mike Rogers congratulated the men and women of the two departments on receiving the funding which he says will help the Talladega County fire departments purchase a new firefighting vehicle and operations and safety equipment.
“Talladega County’s first responders are our first line of defense,” Rogers said. “I congratulate the men and women of the Ironaton Volunteer Fire Department and Town of Oak Grove Volunteer Fire Department for receiving these grants and hope it will ultimately help increase the safety for all local citizens.”
Thre department will receive a combined $348,000. Rogers said the grant should be awarded under the 2016 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, an essential federal program which supports first responders across Alabama and the nation. Ironaton Volunteer Fire Department should receive a $250,715 grant to fund a new firefighting vehicle and Town of Oak Grove Volunteer Fire Department should receive a $98,000 grant to fund new operations and safety equipment.
According to the Homeland Security Department, which administers the grant, the purpose of the program is to award funding directly to fire departments, nonaffiliated EMS organizations and state fire training academies that are unaffiliated with a hospital. These awards aim to enhance first responders’ ability to protect the health and safety of the public, as well as that of first-responder personnel, with respect to fire-related hazards.
Rogers serves on the Committee on Homeland Security in Congress. “I am pleased to see the federal government is continuing to make these types of investments in the Third District,” he added.
Jeremy Law for SylacaugaNews.com | © 2017, SylacaugaNews.com/Marble City Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
