Today, Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10) announced $106,667 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 the City of Conover Fire Department in Catawba County, and comes in the third round of this year’s 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 in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration.

The grant funds will be used to purchase new turnout gear to replace old gear that is worn out and has become noncompliant with current standards. 

“The Conover Fire Department, under Chief Mark Hinson’s leadership, has been a leader in the fire service,” said Congressman McHenry. “This is just the latest of many AFG grants they have received over the past few years which speaks to the department’s professionalism and dedicated service.”

Chief Hinson thanked the Congressman for his support of the fire service, "Congressman McHenry has visited our department on several occasions and is known as a champion of the fire service in North Carolina. We thank him for his support of the AFG program."

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.  

Conover is the first Tenth District fire department to receive AFG funding as a part of the FY 2020 grant cycle.

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