Farmington Fire Department Gets Federal Grant

FARMINGTON, CT — The Farmington Fire Department has been was awarded $13,818 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency through an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (Supplemental for coronavirus).

The grant will provide funding for "critical personal protective equipment that has been purchased to prepare for and respond to the pandemic we have been and continue to navigate through," local fire officials said.

They added, "From the beginning of this pandemic, essential workers have been contending with PPE shortages requiring the need to optimize the use of the supplies already in hand. While these practices may not have been ideal, they were and continue to be a best effort to provide the needed protections to those encountering COVID-19 in the carrying out of their jobs. With the procurement of this grant, we will be able to ensure that PPE is sustained for the emergency services and the community."

AFG is one of three grant programs that constitute the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA focus on enhancing the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and fire-related hazards.

The AFG-S Program provides financial assistance directly to eligible fire departments, nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations, and state fire training academies for personal protective equipment needed to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

The grant acceptance is pending approval by the Farmington Town Council, which is slated to meet next on July 14.