Pascrell Announces $47K Federal Grant to Paterson Fire Department

PATERSON, NJ – U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (NJ-09), co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, announced the awarding of a $47,390 federal Assistance to Firefighter Grant (AFG) to the Paterson Fire Department. Administered by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency, the AFG program provides direct support to eligible fire departments to help them meet the demanding and ever-evolving nature of their work. This grant will be used by the Paterson Fire Department to enhance education initiatives on fire prevention and safety measures.

“Paterson’s firefighters put their lives on the line every day for the people of our city and they deserve every bit of available support. With this federal award, the Paterson Fire Department will continue to improve and expand their efforts to educate Patersonians on fire deterrence,” said Rep. Pascrell. “The most effective method of fire prevention is to keep fires from happening in the first place. Increased public education on fire prevention will go a long way in keeping our firefighters out of harm’s way and keeping communities safe. As co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, not a day will go by when I am not fighting to secure grants like this for our first responders.”

“This grant money is vital in increasing public education of fire safety and fire prevention,” said Paterson Fire Chief Brian McDermott. “The crux of the grant will be to increase our impact as a department on the youth and adults of our community. Community involvement goes a long way towards preventing fires before they happen.”

The AFG program provides financial support to fire departments to purchase equipment, training, emergency vehicles, and other firefighting and fire prevention activities. The funding is made possible under Rep. Pascrell’s Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) Act, which was signed into law in 2000 by President Bill Clinton.

Last month, Rep. Pascrell celebrated the signing into law of his Firefighter Cancer Registry Act (H.R. 931), which creates a national cancer registry for firefighters diagnosed with the deadly disease. Rep. Pascrell and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) first announced introduction of the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act in May 2016 during a news conference at Clifton Fire Station 5, where they were joined by dozens of firefighters, including retired Haddon Heights Fire Chief Gene Dannenfelster, who since lost his battle with cancer. H.R.931 was introduced in the 115th Congress on February 17, 2017.

###