By:Jerry Burke
Last week, Senator Hillary Clinton and Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy announced that the Franklin Square Munson Fire Department would be the awarded $297,054 of a $878,202 grant provided to eight fire departments in New York state from the Office of Domestic Preparedness (ODP) of the Department of Homeland Security. The grants are part of the thirteenth round of the Fiscal Year 2004 Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, awarded under the Operations and Firefighter Safety Program and administered by the U.S. Fire Administration, a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
"We continue to hear stories from all over the state - our fire departments are short-staffed, suffering under the strain of budget cuts and reduced numbers," said Sen. Clinton. "Our firefighters need help and they need it fast. That is why I am pleased to announce these grants, because they represent a clear commitment to our firefighters."
According to Clinton, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, (AFGP) awards one-year grants directly to fire departments to support firefighters and the services they deliver. The Operations and Firefighter Safety Program provides funding to training, equipment, personal protective equipment, wellness and fitness, and modifications to fire stations and facilities.
The FSMFD will use its grant towards the purchase of a Mobile Training Unit. The MTU is a two story, 35-foot trailer-mounted, fully mobile, and self-contained training device capable of creating versatile and realistic emergency training scenarios while ensuring firefighter safety. The trailer is portable and can easily be transported to locations outside Franklin Square for use by other area departments.
"Quality training is essential to ensure the effectiveness and safety of any firefighter," McCarthy said. "This grant will ensure Franklin Square's firefighters will be prepared for any scenario they may face." McCarthy also praised the Department's proposal to allow firefighters from neighboring communities use the MTU.
FSMFD Commissioner Dennis Lyons said Monday that while the grant announcement has been made, it will be a few more months before the department gets the MTU.
Other statewide fire departments awarded grants recently included Hartsdale, Endicott, Johnstown, Niagara Falls, Lakewood, Kingstone and West Henrietta.
