CHICAGO — Three Chicago-area fire departments are among the 15 Illinois fire departments that will receive more than $800,000 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s office announced Friday.
FEMA, part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), awarded the 15 grants — totaling $829,677 — to fire departments and emergency medical service organizations throughout Illinois for operations and safety, a release from Durbin’s office said.
The funding is provided through the DHS’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program, which seeks to strengthen the nation’s overall level of preparedness and ability to respond to fire and fire related hazards.
Since 2001, AFG has provided approximately $4 billion to first-responder organizations to buy response equipment, personal protective equipment, training, and vehicles, the release said.
The Chicago-area fire departments that will receive funding are: the Maywood Fire Department, $29,853; the Prospect Heights Fire Protection District, $97,850; and the South Elgin Fire Protection District, $74,196.
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