Washington, D.C. - United States Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) today announced a decision by the Department of Homeland Security Office for Emergency Preparedness and Response to award a $408,194 Fire Prevention and Safety grant to the Society of Fire Protection Engineers in Bethesda. The grant is part of the Assistance to Firefighter Grant program (AFG). The Fire Prevention and Safety aspect of the AFG program reserves the highest priority for projects focusing on the prevention of fire-related injuries to children. Many of these awards represent innovative solutions for the delivery of fire prevention activities throughout the United States.
“I am pleased to make this announcement,” said Van Hollen. “Next week, May 2-8, is National Arson Awareness Week, and some of these programs will be assisting those fire service organizations attempting to reduce fires caused by arson, particularly by juveniles.”
The Fire Prevention and Safety program is the non-competitive portion of the Assistance to Firefighters program. The grants are made available to fire departments and other organizations, especially national, state, local, and community organizations that are recognized specifically for their experience and expertise in fire prevention or safety programs and activities.
The AFG program is administered by the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and assists rural, urban and suburban fire departments throughout the United States.
Fire departments having questions regarding the AFG program can reach the FEMA Grant Program staff at 1-866-274-0960, or via email at
usfagrants@fema.gov. For the most current information regarding these grant awards, and any of the many other USFA projects, visit
www.usfa.fema.gov or enroll in the USFA email distribution list serve for the most current news releases from the USFA.
On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.