NFD Awarded $31,275 Grant for Safety, Operations

The Nutley Fire Department will join 10 other state fire departments as beneficiaries of a federal grant for operations and safety, according to the offices of both New Jersey senators.

Nutley’s $31,275 Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant will be used for operations and safety programs, Democratic Sens. Frank R. Lautenberg and Robert Menendez announced in a statement.

“This federal funding will ensure that fire departments throughout New Jersey are well equipped and able to access the training they need to answer the call and protect the public,” Lautenberg, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, which funds the AFG program, said.  “These grants play a vital role in helping our first responders maintain the safety of their residents, and we’ll keep fighting so New Jersey’s firefighters have the resources they need to best serve the public,” he added.

“These fire departments serving New Jersey communities, big and small, are receiving Assistance To Firefighters Grants directly from the federal government to help them obtain the equipment they need to do their jobs safely and efficiently,” Menendez said.  “Our dedicated firefighters, who are ready to face the dangers that arise in our communities, deserve nothing less than our best efforts to support them in their duties,” he added, saying “That is why I have proudly supported the AFG program, and why Sen. Lautenberg and I have held annual workshops to help fire departments submit their best applications possible for direct federal aid.”

In addition to Nutley’s grant, the following fire departments also were awarded grants: Wood-Ridge, Ridgefield Park, Waterford Township, North Wildwood, Shrewsbury, Phillipsburg, Readington, Ocean Gate, Mays Landing and Linwood.

The amount of federal grants total $1,284,850. 

The AFG program provides funding to enhance response capabilities and to more effectively protect the health and safety of the public and emergency response personnel.  These grants can be invested in training, protective equipment, fitness programs, modifications to facilities, and supplies that support firefighting operations and safety.