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Volunteer Fire Company in Rural NJ To Get New Turnout Gear

25 Firefighters on Duty 24/7 Year-Round in 50-Square-Mile District

New York, NY — “Eighty-four percent of our members have gear that is ten years old and the other 16 percent have no gear at all and are unable to receive training,” is the way Joseph Sterling, Captain of the Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company, described the condition of his department’s personal protective equipment.

An Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) to the fire company, however, reversed all that, providing the company with 25 sets of what is also called turnout gear, along with 25 face masks. Also president of the Board of Fire Commissioners, Captain Sterling said, “We’re excited, and relieved, with this grant. It saves the taxpayers money and takes a lot of pressure off the commissioners.” The federal share of the grant amounts to $75,644; the local share is $3,981.

The announcement of the grant was made here today by Dale McShine, Director of Grants for Region II of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which administers the AFG program. “FEMA offers these grants to fire companies large and small throughout our region,” she said. “We are keenly aware of how important safety is to all firefighters, and we are very pleased to take part in this program.”

The grant covers 25 complete sets of coats, pants, helmets, gloves, boots, and vests. It also includes funding for the same number of face masks, the current shortage of which produces additional safety problems. “The only masks we now have,” the captain explained, “are not assigned to individuals and are on our truck for anyone to grab. This causes dangerous confusion on the job as members scramble to find the right size mask. This AFG funding will allow each of our members to be properly outfitted with the appropriate mask size, which is a big safety plus,” he added.

“Our fire district is pretty large, covering 50 square miles in Maurice River Township New Jersey,” Captain Sterling pointed out. We’ve got a permanent population of some 4,725 residents, which swells by literally thousands of travelers headed for Cape May, Stone Harbor, Wildwood, and Ocean City during the summer.” The district also covers two Corrections Department facilities, a food market and fueling station, three boat yards, a refrigeration repair business, a municipal building, a senior-citizen complex, an Office of Emergency Management, and a post office.

Captain Sterling was very pleased with the role FEMA played in the grant application phase. “FEMA was a major help,” he recalled, saying that FEMA personnel “walked us through the entire paperwork procedure. We really appreciated that.”

FEMA’s AFG program has been aiding firefighters and other first responders since 2001. “The program provides critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards,” said Tania Hedlund, FEMA’s Grants Branch Chief. In 2012, the AFG provided funding of $25,340,000 for FEMA’s Region II (New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands).

For further information, please contact William H. Douglass at FEMA: 212-680-3665 or 917-561-3223.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/fema, www.fema.gov/blog,and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.”

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Volunteer Fire Company in Rural NJ To Get New Turnout Gear

Know Your Evacuation Routes For Emergency Departures

Eatontown, N.J.– When an incident reaches the point that it’s unsafe for people to remain in the immediate area, getting everyone evacuated as safely and quickly as possible becomes crucial. One of the most – if not the most – important part of an evacuation is figuring out how to get out of the affected area.

Coastal Evacuation Route Signs Are Posted Along the RoadwayCoastal Evacuation Routes exist in states that border the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. They are often denoted by signs featuring some combination of blue and white. In New Jersey, they are white signs with a blue circle on them, filled with white text. Because of New Jersey’s small size and its proximity to water on three sides, many of the state’s major highways also serve as coastal evacuation routes. Most of New Jersey’s routes come from the shore (south and west) and move inward, mainly westbound.

The Garden State Parkway in Cape May County, for example, is the main evacuation route out of the county to the north, along with Routes 47 and 50. Also in Cape May and Atlantic counties, the barrier islands have multiple access points connecting the towns on those islands with the Parkway and other roads headed inland.

The Atlantic City Expressway is the main east-west route through the southern part of New Jersey. When Hurricane Sandy arrived in New Jersey, state officials reversed traffic on the Atlantic City Expressway, forcing all traffic on the highway to go west, away from the coast.

Unlike the barrier islands in Cape May and Atlantic counties, there is only one way on and off of Long Beach Island – Route 72. Route 37 serves the southern half of the Barnegat Peninsula in Ocean County, and Route 35 leads to access to inland roads in the northern half, including Routes 88 and 34, as well as Routes 36 and (indirectly) 18 in Monmouth County.

Getting to the main routes can sometimes involve traveling through residential areas and on lower-capacity streets and roads that can get crowded. www.ready.gov recommends keeping your car’s gas tank at least half full in case you have to leave immediately.

Once an evacuation order has been issued, leave as soon as possible to avoid traffic congestion and ensure access to routes. Have a battery-powered radio to listen for emergencies and road condition changes. During Sandy, not only was contraflow lane reversal (alteration of traffic patterns on a controlled-access highway so all vehicles travel in the same direction) implemented on the Atlantic City Expressway, but the southbound Garden State Parkway was closed to traffic.

During evacuations, people should follow instructions from local authorities on which roads to take to get to the main evacuation routes. Don’t take shortcuts, as they may be blocked. Know more than one nearby evacuation route in case the closest or most convenient one is blocked or otherwise unpassable. Don’t drive into potentially hazardous areas, such as over or near other bodies of water during a hurricane or other flood event. Barrier island residents should take the quickest possible route to the mainland.

Emergency evacuations are stressful moments. But knowing where you’re going and how to get there can help make the whole experience a little easier to handle.

Evacuation routes for the state of New Jersey are posted on the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management website. Go to http://ready.nj.gov/plan/evacuation-routes.html to find the route for your region.

Follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/fema, www.fema.gov/blog, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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Know Your Evacuation Routes For Emergency Departures

Federal Assistance Expanded in Washington State to Kittitas County

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency today announced it is expanding disaster assistance to Kittitas County.

The disaster aid helps the county pay for repair, restoration, reconstruction or replacement of public facilities, roads and bridges, water facilities and other infrastructure damaged or destroyed by wildfires that occurred between July 9 and Aug. 5.

Kittitas County has been added to the major disaster declaration of Aug. 11, which provided assistance to Okanogan County and the Confederated Tribes of Colville Reservation.

Under FEMA’s Public Assistance program, state, tribal, eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations in a designated county are eligible to apply for federal funds to pay 75 percent of the approved cost of debris removal, emergency services related to the disaster, and repairing or replacing damaged public facilities, such as roads, buildings and utilities.

A briefing for local officials will be held where procedures for requesting federal assistance will be explained by FEMA and state officials.

The Washington Military Department’s Emergency Management Division is responsible for administering federal disaster recovery programs on behalf of the state. The Department’s mission is to minimize the impact of emergencies and disasters on people, property, environment, and the economy of Washington State; provide trained and ready forces for state and federal missions; and provide structured alternative education opportunities for at-risk youth.

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Federal Assistance Expanded in Washington State to Kittitas County

Grant to Replace Obsolete Firefighting Equipment in New Jersey’s Upper Deerfield Township

New York, NY, August 7, 2014 – Thirty-six self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBAs) will replace outmoded equipment used by three regional fire companies in Upper Deerfield Township, in New Jersey’s northern Cumberland County, it was announced here today by Ms. Dale McShine, Director of Grants for Region II of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The life-saving equipment will be provided through a grant from the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG), a FEMA program. The federal grant’s value was $243,948; the local share was $12,197.

The townships’ fire companies currently have 39 SCBAs, only three of which meet today’s National Fire Protection Association criteria for use. According to Dave Rogers, Sr., Chief of Fire Co. 3, the new equipment will not only be in line with NFPA requirements but will also increase firefighters’ breathing time to 45 minutes from 30.

Chad Ott, Township Liaison to the fire companies, said that the new SCBAs are equipped, too, with a “dual buddy breath” capability that “enables two firefighters to breathe out of the same cylinder in the event that one of the SCBA devices has a failure allowing the firefighters to exit the building safely. This is a major step forward for the priority of safety.”

Echoing the firefighters’ sentiment about the primary role of safety, James P. Crilley, mayor of Upper Deerfield Township, said “the economic importance of this grant is also considerable.” In this economy, it would have taken us several years or so to put together enough funds to implement this significant contribution to our residents’ and firefighters’safety.”

FEMA’s AFG program has been aiding firefighters and other first responders since 2001. “The program provides critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards, said Tania Hedlund, FEMA’s Grants Branch Chief. In 2012, the AFG provided funding of $25,340,000 for FEMA’s Region II (New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands).

For further information, please contact William H. Douglass at FEMA: 212-680-3665 or 917-561-3223.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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Grant to Replace Obsolete Firefighting Equipment in New Jersey’s Upper Deerfield Township

FEMA Authorizes Funds to Fight Utah Anaconda Fire

DENVER – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Anaconda Fire in Tooele County.

FEMA Acting Regional Administrator Tony Russell approved the state’s request for a Federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) upon receiving the request at 9:07 p.m. MDT Monday evening. At the time of the request, residents of approximately 100 homes in the community of Lincoln were under a mandatory evacuation. The 300-acre fire was within a quarter mile of the community and was five percent contained.

The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the state’s eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling designated fires. These grants do not provide assistance to individual home or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire.

Fire Management Assistance Grants are provided through the President’s Disaster Relief Fund and made available by FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause a major disaster. Eligible items can include expenses for field camps; equipment use, repair and replacement; mobilization and demobilization activities; and tools, materials and supplies.

FEMA Authorizes Funds to Fight Utah Anaconda Fire

FEMA Provides Federal Funding to Junction Fire in Madera County, California

FEMA Public Affairs (626) 431-3843

OAKLAND, Calif. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to assist the state of California combat the Junction Fire currently burning in Madera County.

On August 18, 2014, the State of California submitted a request for a fire management assistance declaration for the Junction Fire and FEMA approved the State’s request on August 19, 2014. The authorization makes FEMA funding available to reimburse up to 75 percent of the eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling the fire.

At the time of the request, the fire was threatening 150 primary homes in and around the community of Oakhurst with a population of 2,829. Mandatory evacuations are taking place for approximately 1,542 people. The fire started on August 18, 2014, and has burned in excess of 300 total acres of state,and private land.

The Disaster Relief Fund provides funding for federal fire management grants (FMAG’s) through FEMA to assist in fighting fires which threaten to cause major disasters. Eligible costs covered by FMAG’s can include expenses for field camps; equipment use; repair and replacement; tools; materials; and supplies and mobilization and demobilization activities.

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FEMA Provides Federal Funding to Junction Fire in Madera County, California

FEMA provides federal funds to help fight Rowena Fire burning in Hood River County

August 7, 2014
News Release

FEMA provides federal funds to help fight Rowena Fire burning in Hood River County

Seattle, WA – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Rowena Fire, burning in Hood River County, Oregon.

FEMA Region X Regional Administrator, Kenneth D. Murphy determined that the Rowena Fire threatened such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. Murphy approved the state’s request for federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) on August 6, 2014 at 3:41 p.m. PDT.

On August 6, 2014, the State of Oregon submitted a request for a fire management assistance declaration for the Rowena Fire, burning in Hood River County. At the time of the request, 480 homes were threatened and about 500 people had evacuated the area. The fire started on August 5, 2014, and has consumed approximately 1,500 acres of Federal and private land. Firefighting resources committed to this incident include fire crews, strike teams, helicopters, air tankers and engines. The Federal Principal Advisor confirmed the threat to homes, and transportation facilities. The fire is currently uncontained.

The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of Oregon State’s eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling designated fires. These grants provide reimbursement for firefighting and life-saving efforts. They do not provide assistance to individuals, homeowners or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire.

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FEMA provides federal funds to help fight Rowena Fire burning in Hood River County

FEMA provides federal funds to help fight Snag Canyon Fire

August 4, 2014
News Release

FEMA provides federal funds to help fight Snag Canyon Fire

Seattle, WA – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Snag Canyon Fire, burning in Kittitas County, Washington.

FEMA Region X Regional Administrator, Kenneth D. Murphy determined that the Snag Canyon Fire threatened such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. Murphy approved the state’s request for federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) on August 3, 2014 at 3:15 p.m. PDT.

On August 3, 2014, the State of Washington submitted a request for a fire management assistance declaration for the Snag Canyon Fire, burning in Kittitas County. At the time of the request, 180 homes were threatened and about 600 people had evacuated the area. The fire started on August 2, 2014, and at least 8 fires are burning uncontrolled in Kittitas County and the Snag Canyon Fire has consumed approximately 3,000 acres of State, and private land. Firefighting resources from local, State, and Federal, and out of state are fighting the fire, include strike teams , type 2 IA crews, air resources, tenders and type 2 Incident Management Team to support fire suppression activity as of August 3, 2014. The Federal Principal Advisor confirmed the threat to homes, dams, overhead power lines, and rail line. The fire is currently uncontained.

A state of emergency was declared by the Governor late Tuesday, July 14 in 20 Eastern Washington counties in response to multiple wildfires threatening homes, businesses, public infrastructure, and natural resources in many parts of the state as fire crews face continued severe fire weather conditions.

The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of Washington State’s eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling designated fires. These grants provide reimbursement for firefighting and life-saving efforts. They do not provide assistance to individuals, homeowners or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire.

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FEMA provides federal funds to help fight Snag Canyon Fire

FEMA Provides Federal Funding to Combat Oregon Gulch Fire in Siskiyou County, California

FEMA Public Affairs (626) 431-3843

On August 02, 2014, the State of California submitted a request for a fire management assistance declaration for the Oregon Gulch Fire. The authorization makes FEMA funding available to reimburse up to 75 percent of the eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling the fire.

At the time of the request, the fire was threatening 92 primary homes in and around the community of Copco Lake, CA which has a combined population of 203. Mandatory and voluntary evacuations are taking place for approximately 203 people. The fires started in the State of Oregon (FEMA Region X) on July 31, 2014, and has burned into the State of California (Region IX) in excess of 21,000 total acres, 4,500 within the State of California, of Federal, State, and private land.

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FEMA Provides Federal Funding to Combat Oregon Gulch Fire in Siskiyou County, California

FEMA Provides Federal Funding to Combat Eiler Fire in Shasta County, California

FEMA Public Affairs (626) 431-3843

On August 02, 2014, the State of California submitted a request for a fire management assistance declaration for the Eiler Fire. The authorization makes FEMA funding available to reimburse up to 75 percent of the eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling the fire.

“FEMA Region IX remains in constant contact with the California Emergency Management Agency to identify needs and, where appropriate, will provide support as requested,” said FEMA Region IX Acting Administrator, Karen Armes.

At the time of the request, the fire was threatening 705 primary homes in and around the community of Hat Creek which has a combined population of 1,905. Mandatory and voluntary evacuations are taking place for approximately 600 people. The fire started on July 31, 2014 and has burned in excess of 7000 acres of Federal, State, and private land.

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FEMA Provides Federal Funding to Combat Eiler Fire in Shasta County, California

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