Nov 28 2006

Graham and DeMint Announce More Than $400,000 in Grants for South Carolina Fire Departments

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint today announced more than $400,000 in grants to fire departments in Columbia, Greer, Lancaster, Spartanburg and Union. “Firefighters and emergency service personnel dedicate themselves to protecting the health and safety of South Carolinians,” said Graham. “These grants will help our local fire departments by providing them the means to obtain the best equipment and training available.” “South Carolina's firefighters risk their lives to protect our families each day and I'm proud they have been awarded this competitive grant,” said Senator DeMint. The grants were awarded for Operations and Firefighter Safety Programs. Fire departments may use these funds for training, wellness, and fitness programs, the purchase of firefighting equipment and personal protective equipment; and modifications to fire stations and facilities. The grants awarded include: COLUMBIA: The Irmo Fire District will receive $60,480. GREER: The City of Greer Fire Department will receive $51,300. LANCASTER: The Charlotte Road/Van Wyck Volunteer Fire Department will receive $39,900. SPARTANBURG: The Croft Fire Department will receive $93,888. The City of Spartanburg Department of Public Safety will receive $79,323. UNION: The Union Public Safety Department will receive $80,101. The Assistance to Firefighters grant program awards one-year grants directly to local fire departments, enhancing their ability to respond to fire and fire-related hazards in the community. The program supports departments by providing them the tools and resources necessary to protect the health and safety of the public and their firefighting personnel. Grantees share in the cost of the funded project at a percentage based on the population of their respective jurisdiction. Grantees that serve jurisdictions of 50,000 or fewer residents are required to provide a non-Federal cost-share of 10 percent while grantees that serve jurisdictions of over 50,000 provide a 30 percent cost-share. The match must be in cash without the use of in-kind contributions. In addition, the maximum amount of federal funds that an applicant can be awarded is $750,000 during any fiscal year. The grants are made by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. ####