Fire Company In Manchester Wins $750K In Federal Grants

MANCHESTER, NJ — Paying for new equipment, especially for volunteer-based first responder organizations, is a tough task. While many lean heavily on help from their towns, one Manchester organization is receiving praise for its efforts to find financing.

The Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company has received $750,000 in grant funding through FEMA’s Assistance for Firefighters Grant program.

The funds, awarded to them over the last two years, included money to buy a new fire truck — a purchase that is a big ticket item for any town.

“The officials at Ridgeway Fire Company, led by Chief Michael Trimarchi, should be proud of their efforts in securing crucial funding through the Assistance for Firefighters Grant program," Police Chief Lisa Parker, the township's director of public safety, said. "Their decision to retain the services of a top-notch grant writing firm to assist them with the process has benefitted both the residents of the township and the emergency responders from Ridgeway Fire Company."

“I would like to congratulate the fire company and their grant writer for their professionalism in securing this important grant funding,” she said.

While attending a New Jersey League of Municipalities seminar on grant funding for disasters, Township Emergency Management Coordinator, Arthur Abline, Manchester Township's emergency management coordinator, said information presented at a recent New Jersey League of Municipalities seminar on grant funding for disasters noted that 87 percent of agencies that apply for the grant do not receive any funding.

Abline said the first step in securing a grant under the program is the electronic scanning of the submission. During the scanning process, documents are strictly reviewed by a computer and any part of the grant paperwork that is not correctly filled out or is missing information results in an automatic rejection, he said.

After this strict and highly critical review, only 13 percent of all submitted grants get funded. As for fire trucks, less than 2 percent of all such grant requests are funded.

“On behalf of Manchester Township, we are incredibly thankful for Ridgeway Fire Company’s dedicated service and initiative. Their efforts have saved the town almost $800,000 in the last two years,” Mayor Kenneth Palmer said. “We cannot thank them enough for their strong commitment to saving the taxpayers of Manchester money.”

Photo via Manchester Police Facebook page