September 8, 2008
PATERSON-- U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-08) today joined Montclair Mayor Jerry Fried, Fire Chief Kevin Allen and others at the Montclair Fire Department Headquarters to announce a $68,000 FIRE grant that the Department will use to advance its technological capabilities.
“The firefighters in Montclair are well deserving of these federal dollars. The department continues to put together outstanding applications and the results speak for themselves. The FIRE Act was written right here in the Eighth Congressional District, specifically to help communities like Montclair support their first responders. I am pleased that Montclair FD has remained active in pursuing these grants and has demonstrated such great success in securing them,” stated Pascrell, the author of the Firefighter Investment Response Enhancement (FIRE) grant program.
Specifically, the grant will allow Montclair FD to invest in ten new “Toughbook” laptop computers so that each vehicle may be outfitted with portable computer technology. The computers will be used for information sharing and gathering, to make inspections more efficient, and to ease reporting to the National Fire Incident Reporting System.
Fire departments across America have received grants under the FIRE grant program (aka the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program), which was directly created by Pascrell’s FIRE Act in 2000. The FIRE Act, first introduced in March of 1999, is the first comprehensive national legislation dedicated to meet the special needs of America’s 32,000 volunteer, paid and part-paid fire departments. With broad bipartisan support, Pascrell’s program has grown from $100 million in fiscal year 2001 to $490 million this year. This is the fourth FIRE grant Montclair has received for a total of over $250,000.
Congressman Donald Payne, who represents a portion of Montclair, but was unable to attend the event stated, “It is vital that the Montclair community be well-prepared to handle fire and fire-related emergencies. As a strong supporter of federal funding to assist our local fire departments, I am pleased that the firefighters of Montclair will receive additional resources to carry out their critical mission.”
“I am grateful to Congressman Pascrell for writing this legislation that has helped us time and again. With this grant we will be able to upgrade our information technology capabilities without burdening Montclair taxpayers,” stated Montclair Fire Chief Kevin Allen.
Pascrell added, “As a former Mayor, I know that every dime of grant funding from the federal government provides important relief to the local taxpayers who sustain essential public safety operations like fire departments.”
In March of 2007 the Montclair Fire Department secured a $47,000 FIRE grant for trench rescue equipment that was lacking in the Montclair/Suburban Essex County region. The equipment was put to good use earlier this summer in West Orange to rescue a contractor who was trapped when a sudden storm caused the trench he was digging to collapse and bury him.
The FIRE grant program is administered by the Office of Domestic Preparedness which is now under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The maximum amount an applicant can be awarded is $750,000 during any fiscal year. As part of the application, applicants had to demonstrate financial need and articulate the benefits to be derived from the grant funds. Funding priorities for each of the activities were established utilizing recommendations from each of the nine major national fire service organizations.
For more current information regarding the FIRE Grant (Assistance to Firefighter Grant Program), visit www.usfa.fema.gov.
