Today, Congressman Patrick McHenry (NC-10) announced $1,660,187 in a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant to local fire departments in the Tenth Congressional District.

This regional grant will benefit every fire department in Gaston County. The application was submitted by the Cherryville Fire Department, which will act as the host department for the grant. This grant 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 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 Cherryville Fire Chief Jeff Cash, the grant funding will provide for mobile and portable 800mhz digital radios that will foster interoperability for fire departments in Gaston County. It will also enhance interpretability with other emergency response agencies outside of Gaston County.   

“This grant is extremely competitive. This is the third time that City of Cherryville Fire Department has applied for the regional grant and we are thrilled that it has been awarded," said Chief Cash. "The grant will allow the Gaston County Fire Service to utilize the modern 800mhz system. We thank Congressman McHenry for his tireless work on behalf of the fire service and all emergency responders.”

“This is the largest AFG Grant awarded in the Tenth District during my service in Congress. It is a huge win for Gaston County,” said Congressman McHenry. “Chief Cash is a nationally respected leader in the fire service and I am proud to call him a friend. In fact, Chief Cash has given his time for many years to teach the fire grant workshops that my office offers for fire and rescue departments throughout the Tenth District. He and his team have worked very hard on this grant and the fruits of their labor will be better communications capabilities for those who protect us.”

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.

This award is one of six AFG grants in the Tenth District thus far during the 2018 cycle with a total of $2,257,183 in AFG funds having been awarded among departments.

Grants will continue to be announced in weekly rounds throughout the coming months.