Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas Receive More Than $2.5 Million in FEMA Preparedness Grants

DENTON, Texas — Emergency management agencies in Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas have been awarded more than $2.5 million in preparedness grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

In Oklahoma, the grants total more than $1million and cover a variety of items such as:

• Firefighting equipment for the Blanchard Fire Department, the city of Ponca City, the Frederick Fire Department, the Hanna Rural Fire Association, the Marble City Volunteer Fire Association and the Grady County Fire Department;

• Vehicles including a brush truck for the Snyder Volunteer Fire Department and an engine for the Post Mountain Volunteer Fire Department; and

• Training for the Olive Volunteer Fire Department, training and firefighting equipment for the Chandler Fire Department and portable radios and a thermal imaging camera for the Hominy Fire Department.

The grants in New Mexico total $714,801 and pay for firefighter equipment for the Texico Volunteer Fire Department and firefighting equipment and training for the Las Cruces Fire Department.

In Texas, the grants total $781,700 and pay for:

• Firefighting equipment for District 7 Fire Rescue in San Antonio, the city of Palestine Fire Department, the Adrian Volunteer Fire Department, the Bells Fire Department, the Lorena Volunteer Fire Department, the Fresno Volunteer Fire Department, the Rio Vista Volunteer Fire Department and the Plum Grove Volunteer Fire Department in Cleveland;

• Communications equipment for the Hamby Volunteer Fire Department in Abilene and the 84 East Volunteer Fire Department in Palestine; and

• A tanker/tender vehicle for the New Waverly Volunteer Fire Department and wellness and fitness immunizations for the Washington County Emergency Medical Services Department in Brenham.

The federal grants are part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program. The primary goal of the AFG is to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and non-affiliated emergency medical service organizations. Since 2001, AFG has helped firefighters and other first responders get critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards. For more information on the AFG program, visit http://www.fema.gov/assistance-firefighters-grant.

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