Senator Charles E. Schumer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 16, 2009

SCHUMER ANNOUNCES $92,000 FIRE GRANT COMING TO PUTNAM LAKE FIRE DEPARTMENT

Grant Will Be Used for Recruitment at Fire Department

Schumer Has Continually Pushed for Funding to Assist Fire Departments and First Responders

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that the Putnam Lake Fire Department will receive a grant of $92,000 from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency. The funding will be used for recruitment and hiring. This grant program is designed to strengthen the response programs of fire departments throughout the country.

"With this grant the Putnam Lake Fire Department will be able to recruit the best possible fire fighters to quickly and safely respond to emergencies in the Hudson Valley," Schumer said. "These funds will make sure that our fire departments continue to have the personnel they need to protect and serve our local communities."

The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program is intended to support the hiring of firefighters and the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. SAFER grants are administered to enhance the ability of grantees to attain and maintain 24-hour staffing and to assure that their communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. The objective of the Hiring of Firefighters activity is to award grants directly to volunteer, combination, and career fire departments to help the departments increase the number of frontline firefighters. The objective of the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters activity is to create a more favorable working environment for volunteer firefighters. The primary focus of this activity is to enlist and/or retain volunteer firefighters who are trained in the operations of firefighting and emergency response.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Programs are administered by the Department of Homeland Security in cooperation with the Department's United States Fire Administration. The grants are awarded on a competitive basis to the applicants that most closely address the program's priorities and demonstrate financial need. More information on the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program can be accessed at http://www.firegrantsupport.com/

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