Washington, D.C. – Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Paul S. Sarbanes (both D-MD) today announced that the Smithsburg Community Volunteer Fire Company and the Hoopers Island Fire Co., Inc. are being awarded a total of $213,750 in federal funding through the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. Senator Mikulski is on the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee and fights each year to increase federal money for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program program.

“I’m so proud of Maryland’s firefighters, risking their lives to protect others,” said Senator Mikulski. “We need to protect our protectors with the best equipment training and resources. I will keep fighting for a federal investment in the safety of our first responders and Maryland. Congratulations to the Smithsburg Volunteer Fire Company, Inc and the Hoopers Island Fire Co., Inc. on being awarded this well-deserved money.”

“As was demonstrated during the 9/11 tragedies and during other emergencies across Maryland and the Nation on an almost daily basis, the heroism and diligence of America's firefighters and first responders is crucial to the health and safety of our communities,” said Sarbanes. “These hard-working firefighters deserve the most-up-to-date equipment, and I am pleased that this funding is being awarded to assist them in their efforts to protect their respective communities.”

The Smithsburg Volunteer Fire Company, Inc., located in Washington County, will use its $112,500 in federal funding to replace a 31-year-old pumper truck. The new truck will be equipped with a 300 gallon water tank, a 750 gallon-per-minute pump and a Compressed Air Foam System (CAFS), which will help the department put out fires, even without access to fire hydrants.

This is the first award for the Smithsburg Volunteer Fire Company, Inc. this year and the second for a Washington County Fire Department, which has received a total of $387,000 in federal grant money.

For more information on the Smithsburg Volunteer Fire Company, Inc., contact Fire Chief Ronnie Jeter at (410)-820-8311.

The Hoopers Island Fire Co., Inc., located in Dorchester County, will use its award of $101,250 to purchase 15 portable 800 MHz radios and 15 Minitor pagers. These new radios and pagers will be compatible with Dorchester County’s new emergency communications system, which broadcasts messages describing the type of emergency and the location so firefighters can respond directly to the scene.

The grant money will also help Hoopers Island Fire Co., Inc. buy six new Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) units with six refillable, spare air bottles. The SCBA units will be equipped with individually-fitted face masks and integrated pass devices that operate as an alarm that sounds when a firefighter stops moving for a period of time. When a firefighter stops moving during a fire it is usually an indicator of trouble and the pass device alerts others that the firefighter is in distress.

The new equipment also allows the firefighters to fight fires using the Buddy Breathing system, which is a split in the connection of the SCBA which allows for another firefighter to connect their SCBA to another firefighter should s/he run out of oxygen in their tanks while in a fire. Also, the six spare air bottles will store 45 minutes worth of air each, which is vital because Hoopers Island is in a rural area with limited access to a cascade refill system.

The federal funding will also enable the Department to purchase six sets of turn-out gear (including new helmets, boots, gloves, pants and coats) to replace their gear which was damaged while responding to incidents during Hurricane Isabel.

This is the first award for Hoopers Island Fire Co., Inc. this year and the second award for a Dorchester County Volunteer Fire Department, which has received a total of $119,880 in federal funding.

For more information on the Hooper Island Community Volunteer Fire Company, Inc., contact Kathleen Blake at 410-397-3111.

So far this year, 16 Maryland Fire Departments have been awarded a total of $1,567,370 in funding through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. Last year, one in three Maryland fire departments that applied for funding received grants, totaling $8,153,505 - a 100 percent increase from the previous year.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is a competitive program that awards one-year grants directly to local fire departments across the country. Fire departments can apply for federal assistance for training and equipment, fire education and awareness programs, or firefighting vehicles. This year, approximately 20,400 departments nationwide applied for funding, totaling more than $2.6 billion in requests. Grants for this funding cycle will be awarded weekly until September 2005. This year, the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security has approved a $700 million budget for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. While this is $200 million over President Bush’s budget allocation, it is a cut of $46 million from last year’s funding level. This will reduce the number of fire departments who will be awarded funding this year. In 2003, Senator Mikulski introduced an amendment to the Homeland Security spending bill that would have increased federal funding for the Fire Grant Program by $150 million, funding it at its authorized level of $900 million. Senator Mikulski’s amendment failed by a vote of 48-49.

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