Crime & Safety
Rep. Pascrell Presents Grant for Fire Safety Gear
Congressman honors Livingston's firefighters at meeting of town council.
U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell Jr. was in attendance for Monday night's town council meeting to personally present the Livingston Fire Department with a $188,640 federal grant to be used on the purchase of new safety equipment.
Livingston Fire Chief Christopher Mullin thanked the Congressman on behalf of the department and described him as a friend and advocate for fire service. In the past, Mullin recalled watching Pascrell on Youtube fight on the congressional floor into the wee hours of the morning to restore funding for fire services.
"He is an advocate that is not afraid to get up and fight," said Mullin, who stressed just how important the grant money is to the department given the tough economic conditions.
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Mullin added, "He is not a quiet man but he gets up and does the work for the public safety sector including firefighters, police officers and E.M.S.”
The Livingston Fire Department has received three federal grants since the F.I.R.E. (Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement) program began over a decade ago in the year 2000, Pascrell said.
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Livingston has used the money from the previous grants to purchase new portable radios for the town's firefighters and six facility generators to provide emergency backup power. This year’s grant will go toward SCBA masks and turn-out gear.
Since the program's inception, nearly $6 billion in total has been given out in grant money to fire departments nationwide. Pascrell pointed to 9/11 as a prime example of the need for the latest technology.
Winning grant money was no easy task for municipalities this year, Pascrell said. In fact, Livingston was among only three towns in the state of New Jersey to receive federal grant money.
The Congressman concluded the presentation by pointing out that firefighters are a top priority at all levels of the government. “You are going to be the first one at the emergency – not the federal government,” said Pascrell. “We need to make sure that they have the proper equipment.”
