September 28, 2005

WASHINGTON -- Congressman Tom Petri reports that the Kiel Fire Department has received an $88,578 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

When informed of the grant, Kiel City Administrator Dennis Dedering said, "That's really going to help me out a lot."

Dedering said that the funds would be used primarily for new self-contained breathing equipment. He said the department's current equipment is ten to 12 years old.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant program awards one- year grants directly to local fire departments, enhancing their abilities to respond to fire and fire-related hazards in their communities.

"We ask a lot more of fire departments than we used to - not simply fire fighting but also fire prevention, safety programs, emergency medical services and even terrorist threats," said Petri. "These grants are meant to help local communities cope with the added expenses in order to keep us all safer."