Senators Stabenow, Levin Announce Firefighter Grants for Grand Haven and Plainfield Charter Township

Grand Haven Department of Public Safety and the Plainfield Fire Department will each receive a federal grant from the Department of Homeland Security to help increase public safety through improvements to their operations and fire prevention activities, U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin announced today.

Plainfield Fire Department will receive $274,860 for fire prevention activities, and Grand Haven Department of Public Safety will receive $22,107 to improve operations and safety. Both grants are part of the DHS Assistance to Firefighters Grant program.

"Today's announcement is great news for the Grand Haven Department of Public Safety, the Plainfield Fire Department, and families in these communities," said Stabenow. "Our first responders risk their lives to keep our families safe, and they rely on these resources to do their jobs safely."

"Firefighters and EMTs stand ready every day to put their lives on the line for their community," Levin said. "And firefighters not only fight fires, they work to prevent fires in the first place. These grants will help the Grand Haven Department of Public Safety and the Plainfield Fire Department in their vital mission of protecting lives and property in their communities."

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant program allows fire departments across the country to apply for federal grant money in several categories. Applications are evaluated in a competitive process by a panel of peers from fire and EMS organizations. Today's grants are from two categories of the AFG program: Fire Prevention and Safety, and Operations and Safety.

Fire Prevention and Safety grants are geared to help local fire departments enhance public safety through activities such as fire prevention education and awareness, code enforcement, and fire and arson investigation. Some examples of education and awareness programs would include smoke alarm installations and home safety inspections; code enforcement programs would include increasing awareness of building codes; fire and arson investigations would include support to help fire departments investigate every fire. Operations and Safety grants help local fire departments by providing firefighter training or personal protective equipment, modifying existing facilities or buying supplies.

More information on the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program can be found at www.fema.gov/firegrants.