Funding will assist with new equipment, training

The Dearborn Fire Department is a recipient in the latest round of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants for first responders. The grant was competitive, meaning awarded on the merits of the City’s request.

The $592,215 grant, announced Aug. 1, will be used for equipment and training.  The City of Dearborn agreed to provide $59,221 to match the grant, bringing the total award to $651,436.

The funds will be used to replace equipment and provide new training courses for personnel. New equipment will include ambulance stretchers, cardiac monitors, air masks, air tanks and helmets. Training will include additional classes for the technical rescue team and a pump operator course for drivers.

The Fire Department has received about $11 million in federal and state grants since 2013, with most coming from federal grants.

“We are very appreciative of federal grant monies that help us maintain our equipment and training,” said Fire Chief Joseph Murray. Most of the department’s new equipment was funded through grants, including a new ladder truck purchased in 2017.

The Fire Department received the latest funding through FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.  According to information from FEMA, the $311 million competitive grant program is “an important component of the larger, coordinated effort to strengthen the nation’s overall level of preparedness and ability to respond to fire and related hazards.”