Today, Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10) announced $296,777 in U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grants to three local and volunteer fire departments in the Tenth Congressional District.

The grants will go to fire departments in Catawba, Lincoln, and Avery Counties, and come in the sixthround of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFGP), which aims to help firefighters and first responders throughout the country. Local departments applied for the grants, and the program is administered by the Department’s office for State and Local Government Coordination & Preparedness (SLGCP).

“I am very pleased to see so many departments in the Tenth District receiving AFGP grants as awards continue to be announced,” said Congressman McHenry. “These grants will help local fire departments update their equipment, improve operations and safety as well as acquire new vehicles and the tools necessary to respond in emergency situations.”

Below are the grant recipients in the Tenth District:

• City of Conover Fire Department (Catawba) – $95,089
• South Fork Volunteer Fire Department (Lincoln) – $73,597
• Linville Volunteer Fire Department (Avery) – $128,091

These three awards bring the total number of departments receiving AFGP grants in North Carolina’s Tenth District to 21 with a total amount awarded of $1,833,926. Nine of the district’s ten counties have at least one department receiving a grant.