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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

Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas Receive More Than $1.6 Million in FEMA Preparedness Grants

DENTON, Texas — Emergency management agencies in five states – Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas – have been awarded more than $1.6 million in preparedness grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

In Arkansas, the grants total $149,515 and cover:

• Stretchers, backboards and splints for the El Dorado Fire Department;
• Firefighting equipment for the Grubbs Volunteer Fire Department and the Oden-Pencil Bluff Volunteer Fire Department; and
• Generators, radios and other tools for the Maddox Bay Rural Fire Department in Holly Grove.

The grants in Louisiana total $509,022 and pay for firefighting equipment for the Forest Volunteer Fire Department in Oak Grove; the Elizabeth Volunteer Fire Department; the Des Allemands Volunteer Fire Department; the Bayou Boeuf Volunteer Fire Department in Thibodaux; the St. Landry Fire District #7 in Morrow and the Washington Parish Fire District #7.

In New Mexico, grants totaling $120,016 cover firefighting equipment for the Ohkay Owingeh Fire Department and the Newkirk Fire Department in Santa Rosa, and health screenings and physicals for the Santa Fe Fire Department.

The Oklahoma grants total $637,349 and pay for:

• A pumper/engine vehicle for the Madill Fire Department;
• A tanker vehicle for the Warner Volunteer Fire Department;
• Firefighting equipment for the city of Ada Fire Department;
• Communications equipment for the William Key Correctional Center Fire Department; and
• A training tower for the State Fire Training Academy at Oklahoma State University.

In Texas, the grants total $202,778 and pay for firefighting equipment for the Tennessee Colony Volunteer Fire Department, the Blossom Fire Department and the Balcones Heights Fire Department in San Antonio.

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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Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas Receive More Than $1.6 Million in FEMA Preparedness Grants

NJ Firefighters to Receive New Breathing Apparatuses – Stanhope Wins Federal Grant of Nearly $158,000

NJ Firefighters to Receive New Breathing Apparatuses

Stanhope Wins Federal Grant of Nearly $158,000

New York, NY — The 3,548 residents of the Borough of Stanhope will be safer because the town’s 40 volunteer firefighters will be better equipped with their 19 new self-contained breathing apparatuses, Dale McShine, Director of Grants for FEMA’s Region II, said here today.

The new equipment for Stanhope Hose Company #1 is made possible, Ms. McShine said, by an Assistance to Firefighters Grant, or AFG, which is administered by FEMA, of $157,776. The local share comes to $8,303.

Brian McNeilly, the borough’s administrator, says all the firefighters are very pleased with the new equipment. He said that it will replace units that were at least ten years old, were expensive to repair, and not compliant with National Fire Protection Association criteria. “These new units,” he pointed out, “provide a much broader field of vision, which is critical.” “Each of these new units,” he added, “is equipped with a personal alert safety system, which automatically summons assistance” should a firefighter become incapacitated or overwhelmed.

“Perhaps the most important benefit for our borough,” McNeilly observed, is that “with our small population, our firefighting volunteers are our neighbors, so when a fire or other emergency breaks out, it’s a matter of neighbors helping neighbors.”

FEMA’s Dale McShine said that the AFG program has been aiding firefighters and other first responders since 2001, “providing critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources” needed to help the public and emergency responders from fire and related hazards.

Tania Hedlund, FEMA’s Branch Chief for Grants, reported that, 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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NJ Firefighters to Receive New Breathing Apparatuses – Stanhope Wins Federal Grant of Nearly $158,000

Federal Grants to Local Fire Departments Offer Up-to-Date Equipment and Training to Stations Large and Small

New York, NY — The Atlantic City Fire Department has some 250 full-time firefighters and six fire stations serving a southern New Jersey population of 40,000. The department received last month a federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) of almost $490,000 to replace personal protective equipment ravaged by Hurricane Sandy and years of on-the-job use. The local share of the grant brought the total to $543,400.

This week, the Milmay Volunteer Fire Company, in an unincorporated community of 1,500 in Buena Vista Township, also in Atlantic County, was awarded a similar bounty. It received $9,168 (local share $482) to replace its deteriorated personal protective equipment for its 20 volunteers: boots, helmets, hoods, gloves, coats, and pants, all at least 15 years old. Fire Chief Eric Hensel said, “the rubber on the boots was cracked, the helmets outfitted with non-adjustable headbands, straps frayed, and the gloves contaminated with soot or grease.”

Chief Hensel added that, “not only was our equipment old, but we were suffering financially from a straight-line wind storm that occurred several years ago. It tore the roof off of our 70-year-old fire house, and caused some $500,000 in damage.” Insurance helped, he said, but it left the department with little cash.

The Director of Grants for Region II of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Dale McShine, announced the Milmay grant at regional headquarters here today. FEMA administers the AFG program, she said, “and it is most gratifying that these awards help firefighters protect their communities, of whatever size, and whether or not they are full-time or volunteers.”

“All of our firefighters are volunteers and we have a small community and a small budget,” Chief Hensel said. “And regardless of a fire company’s size, you still face the same issues: one person’s injury or life lost is the same. This grant will help us do our jobs,” he added.

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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Federal Grants to Local Fire Departments Offer Up-to-Date Equipment and Training to Stations Large and Small

Central NY State Fire Department to Receive Tanker Truck

ew York, NY — The fire district of Watkins Glen, New York is 58 square miles. Only some 20 percent of their area – roughly 12 square miles – is equipped with fire hydrants, posing a major challenge to Chief Smith, the department’s fire chief. “We and our mutual aid partners are heavily dependent upon mobile water to execute our firefighting obligations in this rural response area,” he says.

“On top of that,” he adds, “the equipment we had put together to serve as our tanker truck, starting with a Volvo cab and chassis back in 1986, had become too unsafe in October of last year to continue operating.”

The award of a $285,000 grant, then, from the Assistance to Firefighter Grants, a unit of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to purchase a new tanker truck is of great value to Chief Smith. The local share is $15,000, totaling $300,000 in funding.

The decrepit tanker that stopped working last year could pump 125 gallons per minute. “The new vehicle,” he said, “will be able to pump a minimum of 750 gallons per minute, and give our 50 volunteers the ability to rapidly establish a water supply that will lead to vastly improved firefighting capabilities.” He added that the implications for enhanced saving of lives and homes were “undeniable.”

The Grants Chief of FEMA’s Region II, Dale McShine, announced the Watkins Glen grant here today. “The AFG program has been assisting firefighters and those they serve for more than a decade, and this grant continues to demonstrate the spirit and purpose of the program,” she said.

Watkins Glen Village sits on the edge of Seneca Lake, one of New York’s famous Finger Lakes. The region has a State Park, and offers camping, hiking, boating, wine-tasting, and other festive attractions, drawing numerous summer vacationers. The area is also home to the renowned Watkins Glen International Racetrack that attracts many NASCAR fans. Not surprisingly, the area’s population more than doubles every summer from roughly 10,000 residents.

“This AFG grant naturally increases the effectiveness of Chief Smith’s volunteers in his large fire district,” said R. Mark Swinnerton, Jr., mayor of Watkins Glen Village. Noting that Chief Smith’s department averages more than 700 alarms every year throughout Schuyler County, the mayor said that “this new tanker truck adds formidable strength and reach to the department’s capabilities. We all benefit, residents and visitors alike.”

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 out of FEMA’s Region II office (New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands).

For further information, contact William H. Douglass at 212-680-3665/917-561-3223.

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Central NY State Fire Department to Receive Tanker Truck

Federal Firefighter Grant Helps Recoup Atlantic City Equipment Lost During Sandy

New York, NY, July 28, 2014 — In addition to its other widespread destruction, Hurricane Sandy also undermined the effectiveness of multiple sets of the Atlantic City Fire Department’s (ACFD) personal protective equipment via several feet of salt water, oil, gasoline, and sewage.

The ACFD has been awarded $489,060 from the Assistance to Firefighter Grants (AFG) program, however, to replace not only the Sandy-damaged equipment, but also more than 100 other protective suits that are eight years old, showing significant wear, and losing their ability to safeguard the first responders. The local share of the federal grant is $54,340, bringing the total to $543,400.

The announcement was made here today by Dale Mcshine, Grants Director for Region II of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. AFG is a FEMA program.

“During and after Hurricane Sandy, the Atlantic City Fire Department’s gear was exposed to harsh ingredients,” says the department’s Administrative Deputy Chief, Vincent Granese. “It’s unlikely that these contaminants can be removed, and the odds are that they have damaged the integrity of our personal protective equipment.”

Personal protective equipment includes coats, suspenders, helmets, gloves, and hoods. “This grant allows for state-of-the-art gear,” says Chief Granese. “We never would have been able to afford this generation of equipment. It will be made of far better materials, and will enhance our ability to fight fires and respond to other incidents.”

The ACFD is a full-time career department with members assigned to six fire stations that operate on a 24-hour basis 365 days per year. Its services include fire suppression, fire prevention, public safety education, fire investigations, first-responder EMS, level III hazardous material response, and all phases of technical rescue. The department also provides regional support throughout the southern half of New Jersey for Hazmat and Technical Rescue Team response.

The city is a historic beach resort, operating 12 casinos and numerous first-name hotels. It is home to almost 40,000 residents with daily influxes of 110,000 to 600,000 people.

“With its multitude of capabilities, our fire department serves not only our bustling, populated city, but also the state. I have long been proud and impressed by their capabilities and this AFG grant serves only to boost their strengths,” observes Atlantic City mayor, Donald Guardian.

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. The AFG provided funding of $25,340,000 for FEMA’s Region II (New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands) in 2012.

For further information, contact William H. Douglass at 212-680-3665/917-561-3223.

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Federal Firefighter Grant Helps Recoup Atlantic City Equipment Lost During Sandy

President Obama Signs Colorado Emergency Declaration

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that federal emergency aid has been made available to the State of Colorado to supplement state and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides beginning on September 11, 2013, and continuing.

The President’s action authorizes FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Boulder, El Paso, and Larimer.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent federal funding.

William J. Doran III has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal response operations in the affected area.

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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President Obama Signs Colorado Emergency Declaration

New Director Named for FEMA’s Louisiana Recovery Office

DENTON, Texas – The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Region 6 Administrator Tony Robinson has selected Thomas “Mike” Womack as the new Director for FEMA’s Louisiana Recovery Office (LRO).

As LRO Director, Womack oversees FEMA’s recovery operations in Louisiana for hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike.

Womack joined FEMA in 2012. Prior to that, he served in the Army National Guard for nearly 30 years. He also served as the Response and Recovery Director and then Deputy Director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). Former Governor Haley Barbour appointed Womack Executive Director of MEMA in 2006, where he served until 2012.

“Mike brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this position and to the Louisiana Recovery Office,” said FEMA Region 6 Administrator Tony Robinson. “We are fortunate to have him and I am confident that he will continue to enhance our relationship with Louisiana and its great citizens as we move forward with the recovery efforts in the state.”

“I look forward to working closely with our state and local partners,” said Womack. “The FEMA LRO remains unwavering in its commitment to Louisiana’s full recovery.”

Womack officially started the job on May 5. He assumes the duties from William J. Doran III, who served as LRO Interim Director since November 2012.

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New Director Named for FEMA’s Louisiana Recovery Office

Only Two Weeks Remain to Apply for Disaster Assistance

OKLAHOMA CITY – Homeowners, renters and business owners in Cleveland and Creek counties who sustained damage due to the Aug. 3-14 wildfire have until Nov. 21 to apply for disaster assistance.

“Registration is the first step in the process, but time is running out,” said State Coordinating Officer and Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) Deputy Director Michelann Ooten. “We want everyone who is eligible to receive assistance as soon as possible.”

“To date, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided more than $6.7 million to help people in Cleveland and Creek counties whose property was damaged or destroyed, and whose losses are not covered by insurance or other forms of assistance,” said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer William J. Doran III. “If anyone has suffered losses or damages as a result of the wildfire and has not yet registered for assistance, I urge them to register before time runs out.”

Loan applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for disaster-related losses of real and personal property must also be submitted by Nov. 21. The SBA provides low-interest disaster loans to qualified homeowners, renters and certain private non-profit organizations and businesses of any size that sustained uninsured or underinsured losses due to the disaster.

To register for FEMA disaster assistance, those with access to and who wish to use a computer or smartphone may apply online at www.disasterassistance.gov, via web-enabled phones at m.fema.gov or the FEMA app. Survivors can also register by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585. If using 711 Relay or Video Relay Services, the number is also 1-800-621-FEMA. FEMA phone lines are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT seven day a week; multilingual operators are available.

Homeowners, renters and businesses affected by the Aug. 3-14 wildfire, can apply for an SBA disaster loan after registering with FEMA by going online to SBA’s secure site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela; calling 1-800-659-2955 or TTY 1-800-877-8339. For information on SBA disaster assistance, go to www.sba.gov.

For more information on Oklahoma disaster recovery, click on www.fema.gov/disaster/4078 or www.oem.ok.gov.

Follow the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management on Twitter and Facebook at twitter.com/okem and www.facebook.com/oklahomadepartmentofemergencymanagement.

FEMA tweets about the Oklahoma disaster are at twitter.com/femaregion6. Additional FEMA online resources include blog.fema.gov, www.facebook.com/fema and www.youtube.com/fema.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) prepares for, responds to, recovers from and mitigates against emergencies and disasters. The department delivers service to Oklahoma cities, towns and counties through a network of more than 350 local emergency managers.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and covers the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

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Only Two Weeks Remain to Apply for Disaster Assistance

When in Doubt, Register for Disaster Assistance

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) urge Cleveland and Creek County residents who sustained property damage or losses from the Aug. 3-14 wildfires to apply for disaster assistance even if they think they may not qualify.

You have insurance
Your well and septic system was damaged
You already started to rebuild – save receipts for work already done
You think you may not qualify

You can call the same number you called when you registered to:

Confirm your registration
Check your status if you called before your county was declared a major disaster
Change your contact information or report additional damages

“Don’t prejudge your eligibility. You may be eligible for assistance you didn’t think was available,” said State Coordinating Officer and OEM Deputy Director Michelann Ooten.

“Registering provides access to a host of Federal, State and voluntary programs. We are here to provide assistance for all eligible applicants,” said Federal Coordinating Officer William J. Doran III. “FEMA may provide assistance that can address a person’s specific needs, not just housing.”

Federal disaster assistance may include FEMA’s grants to help pay for temporary housing, emergency home repairs or other serious disaster-related expenses, such as wells or septic tanks, medical and dental expenses or funeral and burial costs, not covered by insurance or other sources.

Since the disaster declaration, 596 individuals in Creek County and 150 in Cleveland County affected by the wildfires applied for assistance with FEMA.
Homeowners, renters, businesses and nonprofit organizations, that have not yet registered should do so now by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585, visiting www.disasterassistance.gov or m.fema.gov via web-enabled phones or using the FEMA app. Anyone using 711 Relay or Video Relay Services can call 1-800-621-3362. Phone lines are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT seven days a week; multilingual operators are available.

To apply for a disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): After registering with FEMA, go online to SBA’s secure site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela; call 1-800-659-2955 or TTY 1-800-877-8339; or visit the Disaster Recovery Center in Noble. For more information on SBA disaster assistance, go to www.sba.gov.

SBA’s low-interest disaster loans are available to homeowners, renters, businesses and private nonprofits for their uncompensated physical disaster losses (homes, personal property and business assets). For small businesses and most private nonprofits, SBA disaster loans are available to cover working capital needs caused by the disaster, whether or not the business suffered physical damage.

It is important that anyone receiving an SBA disaster loan application complete and return it. Returning the application does not obligate you to accept an SBA loan; however, it is a necessary step to be considered for other additional forms of federal disaster assistance

For more information on Oklahoma disaster recovery, click on www.fema.gov/disaster/4078 or www.oem.ok.gov. Information can also be accessed via smartphone at m.fema.gov or the FEMA app.

Follow the OEM on Twitter and Facebook at twitter.com/okem and www.facebook.com/oklahomadepartmentofemergencymanagement. FEMA tweets about the Oklahoma disaster are at twitter.com/femaregion6. Additional FEMA online resources include blog.fema.gov, www.facebook.com/fema and www.youtube.com/fema.

When in Doubt, Register for Disaster Assistance

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