(Guthrie, OK) – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded a $45,578.00 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) to Guthrie Fire-EMS. The money will be used to purchase a variety of firefighting equipment according to Fire Chief Eric Harlow.
Specifically, the funds will allow the purchase thousands of feet in new fire hose, multiple fire hose nozzles, and foam firefighting equipment. This will allow the department to replace very worn equipment, particularly in regards to the hose and nozzles located on the department’s brush trucks. With the recent years of high wildfire activity, this equipment has experienced an increased amount of wear and tear.
Nationally, the AFG awards, which will be distributed in phases, will ultimately provide approximately $306 million to fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations throughout the country.
“This grant funding will allow our department to retire some very well-used and worn equipment,” Harlow commented. “Some of this equipment was purchased in the late 80’s and early 90’s and has seen heavy use, especially the equipment on our brush trucks,” Harlow further stated.
The primary goal of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) is to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations. Since 2001, AFG has helped firefighters and other first responders to obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards. This is the 3rd year that Guthrie has received funding from the AFG program. In 2008, AFG funds were awarded for the purchase of new self-contained breathing apparatus and in 2012, a grant was utilized to purchase cardiac monitors for all of the department’s ambulances along with wildland firefighting protective gear for all personnel.
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