DODD, LIEBERMAN ANNOUNCE $144,960 FOR WATERBURY FIRE DEPARTMENT

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) announced today that the Waterbury Fire Department will receive a $144,960 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grants under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The funds will go towards training and the purchase of equipment that will help to enhance the department’s operations and personnel safety.

“Day in and day out, Connecticut fire personnel work tirelessly to keep us safe and sound during emergencies,” said Dodd. “These funds will enable the Waterbury Fire Department to provide necessary training or acquire critical equipment for the brave men and women in their department—both of which will help keep them safe in the line of duty.”

“Firefighters in Waterbury and across Connecticut put their lives on the line every day to keep the rest of us safe. We must be sure they have the training and equipment they need to do their jobs properly. This grant is a needed step towards ensuring our first responders will be as prepared as possible,” said Lieberman.

Senators Dodd and Lieberman have a long history of advocating for fire safety. In 2000, Dodd authored and Lieberman cosponsored the FIRE Act, which gives local fire departments the ability to purchase new equipment and initiate education and training programs. In 2003, Dodd authored and Lieberman cosponsored the SAFER Act, a law that gives local fire departments the ability to alleviate critical shortfalls in professional and volunteer personnel.

In April, Dodd and Lieberman introduced the Fire Grant Reauthorization Act of 2010, legislation that will reauthorize the AFG and SAFER programs for five years. This bill was recently approved by the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.

Since the SAFER and FIRE Acts were enacted, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security, has distributed 612 grants for a total of over $67 million in Connecticut to help fire departments strengthen their response capabilities. Dodd and Lieberman have been tireless advocates for increasing federal funding for first responders.

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