Pascrell Announces $166K in Federal Aid for Prospect Park Fire Department

PATERSON, NJ – U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, announced today that $166,666.67 has been awarded to the Prospect Park Volunteer Fire Department for the purchase of self-contained breathing apparatuses for its members. Rep. Pascrell wrote a letter in support of Prospect Park’s application to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Administered by DHS, the Assistance to Firefighter Grants (AFG) program provides direct support to eligible fire departments to help them meet the demanding and ever-evolving nature of their work. Funding for this vital grant program is provided annually by Rep. Pascrell’s Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) Act, which was signed into law in 2000 by President Bill Clinton.

“This federal award will help Prospect Park purchase state-of-the-art breathing technology for its firefighters so they can continue keeping our community safe,” said Rep. Pascrell. “To ensure support for our firefighters did not falter during the pandemic, we included in our CARES Act an additional $100 million in federal funding for fire departments nationwide. It has been 103 days since the House passed the HEROES Act to provide even more help for first responders and to protect them from the economic fallout of this crisis. Prospect Park’s firefighters are putting their lives on the line like never before and we must have their backs. I will continue to work with federal agencies to ensure North Jersey’s first responders have every dollar they need to weather this crisis. And I’ll keep pushing Mitch McConnell’s Republican controlled Senate to get off their hands and enact the HEROES Act until this virus is soundly defeated.”

“Prospect Park’s first responders are working harder than ever during this especially dangerous time,” said Prospect Park Mayor Mohamed Khairullah. “This new equipment will help them stay safe on the job and I want to thank Congressman Pascrell for helping to secure this federal support for our firefighters.”

Through his FIRE Act, Rep. Pascrell helps procure hundreds of thousands in federal support for New Jersey firefighters each year. The CARES Act provided $100 million in funding for the AFG program to help fire departments purchase personal protective equipment and supplies.

This past month, Rep. Pascrell has announced more than $300K in federal grants for North Jersey fire departments. He has worked since the outset of the pandemic to secure millions in emergency federal funding to aid New Jersey in its fight against the virus. He also helped pass the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act to provide more immediate relief to every state and local government across the United States and needed relief for vital workers like first responders, health workers, and teachers keeping us safe during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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