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WASHINGTON — Congressman Brian Higgins announced the Hamburg Volunteer Fire Department has been awarded federal grant totaling $235,319 through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency. "Federal fire grants provide important resources to local departments that work hard to serve our communities," said Congressman Higgins, a member of the House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security. "This grant will provide equipment to better protect the selfless men and women who volunteer to protect Hamburg neighborhoods. We congratulate them for putting in the work to secure these funds."

The Department was awarded this grant under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) which makes funds available for Operations and Safety improvements including: training, equipment, personal protective equipment, wellness, and safety modification to the station and facilities.

Hamburg Volunteer Fire Chief David O'Brien noted the Department intends to use the grant to purchase 46 new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), including air packs, tanks and masks, to protect firefighters entering fire and smoke-filled buildings. The Hamburg Volunteer Fire Department, which serves the Village of Hamburg, has a long history of serving the community which can be traced back to 1874.

This year Congress approved $337.5 million for the AFG program which will provide direct assistance to local companies improve the effectiveness of firefighting operations throughout the United States. All applications are submitted to the Department of Homeland Security and go through a non-partisan, merit based review ranked by factors established by a panel of fire service professionals.

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