WASHINGTON -- U.S. Representative Michael G. Oxley (R-Findlay) announced today that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has approved a $34,200 Operations and Safety grant for the Lafayette-Jackson Township Fire Department.

“Competition for fire grants is always tight, and the Lafayette-Jackson Township Fire Department is a most deserving recipient,” Oxley said.  “This funding will help the area’s first responders be better prepared to fight fires and save lives.”

The funding is made available through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program, funded at $550 million for Fiscal Year 2006.  Roughly 18,000 career and volunteer fire departments applied for funding this year, submitting requests totaling more than $2.3 billion.

Since the program’s inception in 2001, nearly $7.9 million has been awarded to fire departments in Ohio’s Fourth Congressional District.

“The AFG Program is a wise investment in public safety,” Oxley stated.  “Our citizens and communities are better protected because of it.”

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