Press Release
Congressman McHenry Announces $183,848 Homeland Security Grant to Ranlo Fire & Rescue in Gaston CountyU.S. Department of Homeland Security awards Assistance to Firefighter Grant funds to local department
Washington,
September 18, 2019
Today, Congressman Patrick McHenry (NC-10) announced $183,848 in a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant to a local fire department in the Tenth Congressional District.
The grant will go to Ranlo Fire and Rescue in Gaston County and comes in the fourth round of the 2018 fiscal year Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG), which aims to help firefighters and first responders throughout the country. Local departments apply for the grants from the program, which is administered by the Grant Programs Directorate of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration. According to Ranlo Fire Chief Chip Carr, the grant will be used to purchase 23 sets of new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) air packs. “Our current air packs are out of date and in great need of replacement," said Chief Carr. "This grant will be an enormous help to our department in bringing our air packs up to current standards.” “I visited Ranlo Fire and Rescue last year to recognize the department for a FEMA staffing and retention grant and it’s great to see them continue to be successful in the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program,” said Congressman McHenry. “Having up-to-date gear is vital to any fire department and I commend Chief Carr and his team for writing a compelling grant.” 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. Ranlo is one of six 10th District departments to receive AFG funding thus far during the 2018 cycle with a total of $2,257,183 in AFG funds having been awarded among those departments. Grants will continue to be announced in weekly rounds throughout the coming months. |