(Washington, DC)  -- U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette (R-Concord) today announced that the Twinsburg Fire Department is among 109 fire departments nationally to receive federal funds under the Fire Prevention and Safety Program.

  LaTourette said Twinsburg will receive $1,143 from the federal government to upgrade a video library that serves as a deterrent for juvenile fire setters.  The grant was among 109 awarded with Fiscal Year 2003 funds under the Fire Prevention and Safety program, which focuses on the prevention of fire-related injuries to children.  The Fire Prevention and Safety program is the non-competitive portion of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program.

 “Summer is generally the time when kids start fires on a lark, and this video program that Twinsburg uses serves as a great deterrent and educational tool for children who are overly interested in fire and might not grasp the full consequences of their actions,” LaTourette said.

 LaTourette said the Assistance for Firefighters Grant Program is administered by the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), a division of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate (EP&R).  It assists rural, urban and suburban fire departments across the country, and funds are used to increase the effectiveness of firefighting operations, firefighter health and safety programs, new fire apparatus, Emergency Medical Service programs, and Fire Prevention and Safety Programs. 
 
 LaTourette said the local share is 10 percent for jurisdictions that serve 50,000 or fewer residents, and 30 percent for departments that serve more than 50,000 residents.  Grants are awarded to paid, volunteer and combination departments.  LaTourette is chairman of the House Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management, which has jurisdiction over the agency that administers the FIRE grant program.

 LaTourette said more than $2.3 million was awarded to local fire departments for FIRE grants from Fiscal Year 2003 funds.