Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10) announced $39,226 in a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant to local fire departments in the Tenth Congressional District.
The City of Newton Fire Department in Catawba County received the grant that comes in the ninth round of this year’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG). The AFG Program aims to help firefighters and first responders throughout the country. Local departments applied for the grants and the program is administered by the Grant Programs Directorate of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration.
Newton Fire Chief Kevin Yoder indicated that the grant funds would be used to purchase a new compressor and refilling station for self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) air packs. It was by sheer coincidence that Congressman McHenry was just given a tour of Newton’s new fire station last week by Chief Yoder and Newton mayor Anne Steadman.
“The City of Newton has made a tremendous investment in the safety of its citizens with its new fire station,” said Congressman McHenry. “It was a real pleasure to see and I know this grant will continue Chief Yoder’s mission to provide the citizens of Newton with a top notch fire service.”
A panel of fire experts at DHS awards AFG grants through a competitive review process. Congressman McHenry hosts workshops for 10th District EMS and fire departments to help guide personnel through the process and give them an inside view of what the committee looks for. The workshops are taught by Cherryville Fire Chief Jeff Cash, a nationally recognized expert in his field and former member of DHS’s AFG review committee. Since Congressman McHenry and Chief Cash began the program, 10th District EMS and fire departments have consistently won more grants than departments in most of North Carolina’s other Congressional Districts.
Newton is one of four 10th District departments to receive AFG funding thus far during the 2014 cycle with a total of $601,081 in AFG funds having been awarded among those departments.
Grants will continue to be announced in rounds weekly through the coming months.
