$200K FEMA Grants Awarded To 2 Lower Bucks Fire Companies

LOWER BUCKS COUNTY, PA —Fire companies in Bensalem Township and Levittown have been awarded $200,000 FEMA grants each to assist with recruitment, retention, and purchasing of the necessary tools to respond to emergency calls.

U.S. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick recently announced the grants for the Newport Fire Company No. 1 in Bensalem Township and the Fairless Hills Volunteer Fire Company in Levittown from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The Newport Fire Company No. 1 and Fairless Hills Volunteer Fire Company were each awarded $200,000 through the 2021 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program, officials said.

The mission of the SAFER grant program is to enhance the ability of recipients to attain and maintain 24-hour fire department staffing and to better assure that their communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards.

This year, FEMA will be awarding $560 million to an estimated 500 eligible fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations throughout our nation.

“With the rapid decline of volunteer firefighters and the constant issue of volunteer retention throughout the Commonwealth, the SAFER Grant program has been a critical resource for our local communities to sustain their firefighter ranks,” Fitzpatrick said.

“These grants are crucial for our emergency response throughout the region, which is why I am proud to support and be an advocate for our fire and first responder community,” he added.

No less than 10 percent of the funding must be awarded to projects under the Recruitment and Retention (R&R) Activity, and 10 percent of the funding is set aside for awards to volunteer or mostly volunteer fire departments under the Hiring of Firefighters (Hiring) Activity.