Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) announced he will be hosting two workshops for local firefighters interested in applying for federal fire grant funding through the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). At the workshops, participants are invited to learn first hand from a DHS Fire Grant Specialist how to put together a qualifying application. All applications are then submitted to DHS and go through a non-partisan, merit based review ranked by factors established by a panel of fire service professionals.
“These workshops play an important role in maximizing the opportunity to bring federal dollars back to Western New York,” said Congressman Higgins. “In the last three years alone fire companies in the 27th Congressional district have been awarded federal funds totaling over $6.7 million dollars.”
Below are the details on this year’s workshops:
Thursday, February 28 - Noon
Chautauqua Institution
Bellinger Hall
Route 394
Thursday, February 28 - 6:00pm
Larkin At Exchange
726 Exchange Street
Barton Room – 6th Floor
Approximately 50 fire companies attended the Congressman’s workshops last year. This is the fourth consecutive year Congressman Higgins has sponsored the workshops.
Fiscal Year 2008 funding for fire grants has yet to be considered, however the 2007 program, which Congress appropriated, and President Bush signed into law, included $490 million in direct assistance to firefighters to improve the effectiveness of firefighting operations, firefighter health and safety programs, and to establish or expand fire prevention programs throughout the United States. The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness (SLGCP) administers the program, in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration.
There are 1.1 million active firefighters in the United States, 73 percent of which are volunteers.
For more information on the fire grant program, please contact Congressman Higgins’ Buffalo office at 716-852-3501.
