(PRESS RELEASE) – As part of National Fire Prevention Week, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), a senior Member of the House Appropriations Committee and of the House Fire Caucus announced $3,052,523 in critical federal funding she helped to secure.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighter Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) programs will award 9 Fire Departments across Northwest Ohio new funding to ensure that first responders have the resources and manpower they need to protect local communities.
These awards will provide essential funding for equipment, protective gear, vehicle acquisition, hiring, and training, enabling fire department to respond more effectively to emergencies and keep both the public and our emergency personnel safe.
Among the nine departments receiving AFG and SAFER funding is the Wauseon Fire Department who will receive $53,522.
The AFG funds will allow the City of Wauseon in to purchase a Three Drop Source Capture Exhaust System that will help ensure all Fire Apparatus can utilize the system when parked in the bay.
This will minimize their staff’s exposure to cancer causing exhaust contaminants. The City of Wauseon share of the cost is $2,676.14.
“This additional Three Drop Source Capture System ensures that all Wauseon Fire Apparatus can utilize the system when parked in the apparatus bay, therefore, minimizing the exposure our staff have to cancer causing exhaust contaminants”, said Wauseon Fire Chief Phil Kessler.
“It is important that when our staff come to work, they are provided with a work environment that minimizes any negative exposure that could harm them or be taken home to their families. “The Assistance to Firefighter Grant Program is extremely important to fire departments across the nation.”
“These funds allow us to invest in our staff, the infrastructure and most importantly the community. Most departments would not be able to procure many of these much-needed items.”
Other department receiving finds are:
Village of Sherwood Volunteer Fire Department – $75,428; The AFG funds will help the Village of Sherwood Volunteer Fire Department in Defiance County to afford operations and safety improvements, including the purchase of 8 new Self Contained Breathing Apparatuses (SCBA’s) and replace outdated ones.
Village of Whitehouse Fire Department – $294,214; The AFG funds will be used by the Village of Whitehouse in Lucas County to upgrade operations and safety with new Self Contained Breathing Apparatuses (SCBA’s).
City of Vermilion Volunteer Fire Department – $302,182; The AFG funds will be used by the City of Vermillion in Erie County to upgrade operations and safety by replacing outdated air packs for firefighters to better and more safely protect residents.
Village of Kelleys Island Volunteer Fire Department – $75,361; The AFG funds will be used by the Village of Kelleys Island in Erie County for operations and equipment, and will replace aged firehose, handline nozzles, and an additional ground monitor.
This equipment will not only be an upgrade, but it will be major upgrades that meet current standards replacing outdated hoses that are 20-30 years old, many of which were donated by other fire departments.
City of Huron Fire Department – $135,523; The AFG funds will be used by the City of Huron in Erie County to replace bunker gear for the entire department. This will ensure the department is compliant with safety and equipment upgrades.
Monclova Township Fire Department – $1,013,046; The SAFER funds will be used by Monclova Township in Lucas County for the hiring of additional full-time firefighters for their department, including wages and benefits.
Village of Oak Harbor, Portage Fire District – $163,428; The AFG funds will be used by the Village of Oak Harbor in Ottawa County for operations and safety improvements and upgrades, including the replacement of soon to be outdated Self Contained Breathing Apparatuses (SCBA’s).
City of Northwood Fire Department – $939,819; The SAFER funds will be used by the City of Northwood in Wood County for the hiring of 3 additional full-time firefighters for their department, including wages and benefits.
“Our firefighters and first responders are the ones on the front lines, running toward danger when others are running in the other direction. They deserve nothing less than the best tools and training to stay safe while protecting our communities,” said Congresswoman Kaptur (OH-09).
“This funding will give them exactly that — critical gear, better pay, new vehicles, and equipment upgrades to better protect them as they respond to emergencies and safeguard lives across Northwest Ohio.”
These new funding announcements follow a $671,428 award for Ney-Washington Township in August 2024, a $952,380 award to the City of Defiance in July 2023, and a $110,014.28 award to the City of Wauseon in June 2023 all secured through FEMA’s AFG program.
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, established in 2001, provides funding to meet the needs of fire departments and non-affiliated emergency medical service organizations.
AFG awards are designed to help these agencies obtain the necessary resources to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire-related hazards. In fiscal year 2023 alone, FEMA distributed 1,616 AFG awards, totaling $289.2 Million.