TITUSVILLE – On Tuesday Congressman John E. Peterson, R-Pleasantville, reminded firefighters throughout Pennsylvania’s 5th congressional district that the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Preparedness Directorate will conduct two Assistance to Firefighters Grants workshops in the 5th district.
The workshops, which will provide participants with information on program changes, program priorities, eligibility requirements, as well as the application process, are free of charge and do not require registration. All interested Fire Departments and non-affiliated EMS organizations are encouraged to attend. The workshops will be held at the following two locations:
Feb. 21 at 7:00 p.m. Pennsdale – Muncy Township VFC, 261 Village Road
March 3 at 6:00 p.m. Franklin – Sandycreek Twp VFD, 624 Congress Hill Road
AFG aims to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical services organizations. Since 2001, AFG has helped firefighters and other first responders secure critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.
Interested applicants can access the 2008 AFG application through the AFG Web site, the U.S. Fire Administration’s Web site, and the Grants.gov Web site. This website contains important information on the AFG, including the FY 2008 funding priorities and program guidance, a Web-based tutorial on the application process, a listing of frequently asked questions, and other materials.
Fire departments that have questions regarding this grant opportunity should contact the help desk at 1-866-274-0960 or at firegrants@dhs.gov. During the application period, help desk hours will be from 8:00am to 4:30pm, Monday through Saturday.
“My staff and I stand ready to assist in the grant application process, and I strongly encourage all interested fire departments to actively pursue these grants,” said Peterson, who sits on the Homeland Security Appropriations subcommittee. “Please don’t hesitate to contact us, and we will provide all the support that we can to assist you.”
Congressman Peterson’s district offices are located in Titusville and State College. Their phone numbers are (814) 827-3985 and (814) 238-1776, respectively.