Alabama fire departments receive more than $1.5 million in DHS grants

Published 3 March 2011

The Lanier Volunteer Fire Department in Talladega County, Alabama just announced that it received a little over $100,000 from DHS through its assistance to firefighters grant program; the department’s chief Jerry Alfred said he plans to use the funds to purchase a rescue truck; several other local fire departments also received grants from DHS including the Sycamore Volunteer Fire Department which received $231,750 and the Oak Grove Volunteer Fire Department which got $185,250; DHS plans to award $1,564,732 to eighteen fire departments throughout Alabama

The Lanier Volunteer Fire Department in Talladega County, Alabama just announced that it received a little over $100,000 from DHS through its assistance to firefighters grant program.

The department’s chief Jerry Alfred said he plans to use the funds to purchase a rescue truck.

He said, “We were very excited that we received the grant.”

“The grant gives us an extra truck for brush fires and an extra truck for rescue equipment that we would need to put all our extraction tubes on,” he said.

He added, “If someone should happen to be trapped in a car or something, we now have better medical better tools to use until the paramedics get there.”

According to Alfred, the new truck will help cut down on response time and offer reliable equipment to help his eighteen firefighters perform their duties.

The Lanier Fire Department is currently in the process of choosing which type of truck to purchase and is unsure when it will be available for use.

Representative Mike Rogers ( R - Alabama), whose district includes Talladega County, said, “I congratulate the men and women of the Lanier Volunteer Fire Department for receiving this grant,” and “I hope it will ultimately help increase the safety for all local citizens.”

Several other local fire departments also received grants from DHS including the Sycamore Volunteer Fire Department which received $231,750 and the Oak Grove Volunteer Fire Department which got $185,250. Both departments plan on purchasing new tanker vehicles.

According to Senator Richard Shelby (R - Alabama), DHS plans to award $1,564,732 to eighteen fire departments throughout Alabama.

The DHS funding come as part of its assistance to firefighters grant program which is intended to help “meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations” by helping “firefighters and other first responders to obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.”