Oxford Fire Department Receives Grant for New Gear

The New Britain and Oxford Volunteer fire departments will receive a total of $227,877 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grants program, Senators Joe Lieberman and Richard Blumenthal announced.

The New Britain Fire Department is being awarded $70,906 and Oxford Volunteer Fire Department will receive $156,971.

Oxford Fire Chief Scott Pelletier said the money will be used for new turnout gear for firefighters. He said some of the money will also be used for firefighter training.

In a news release, Lieberman stated that first responders are indispensible to successful disaster response, whether in the case of fires, hurricanes, or terroristattacks.

"That’s why they need all the help we can provide them for safety equipment, firefighting equipment, and training," he stated. "These grants will provide firefighters in New Britain and Oxford with training and equipment to make them safer and better prepared so that they can serve their communities with confidence and courage.”

Blumenthal said the grants awarded to the New Britain and Oxford Volunteer Fire Departments will provide a substantial amount of financial support to these departments, ensuring they have the most up-to-date training and equipment to continue protecting our families and communities.

"The first responders in these fire departments represent some of the bravest public servants we have in Connecticut, and I am pleased to see the grants going to those deserving of the funds,” he stated in a news release.

In 2000 and 2003, respectively, Lieberman was a co-sponsor of the FIRE and SAFER Acts and last year introduced the Fire Grant Reauthorization Act of 2010, legislation that reauthorizes the AFG and SAFER programs for five years. Since the FIRE and SAFER Acts were signed into law, FEMA has distributed 636 grants for a total of more than $70 million in Connecticut to help fire departments strengthen their response capabilities. Lieberman is a co-chair of the Congressional Fire Caucus for the 112th Congress.

Blumenthal has fought to ensure the fair provision of survivor benefits to the spouses and families of police officers and firefighters who have been injured, or lost their lives, in the line of duty, according to the release.