Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson today announced the award of two more fire department awards as part of the third round of grants made available through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.

The grants announced today will provide $56,793 to the Sadorus Fire Protection District and $17,575 to the Ridge Farm Fire Department. The grants are made available on a merit basis and in each case, Rep. Johnson assisted the departments in working with the Department of Homeland Security to secure the assistance.

Last week, in the second round of awards announced, 14 grants ranging up to $632,266 for fire department equipment, training and operations throughout the 15th Congressional District.

Rep. Johnson, R-Urbana, said the grants are critical to keep the departments’ firefighting capability up to modern standards.

“For the kinds of situations these men and women face, they deserve to have state-of-the-art equipment and training available to them. That’s what these grants accomplish and I’m happy to do what I can to make it happen,” Rep. Johnson said.

Highlighting the awards is Sidell Fire and Rescue, which won a $632,266 grant to help fund a regional training facility for the Illinois and Indiana Fire Association covering 40 departments in eastern Illinois and western Indiana. The award dovetails with a recent $41,648 grant to the Catlin Fire Protection District for its Project Safe House program that is also used in fire association programming.

Major equipment awards went to Sullivant Township Fire Protection District, $221,138 for a new pumper, and to the Onarga Fire Protection District, $137,750 for a new fire safety/rescue vehicle.

Other grants throughout the district are as follows:

Ashkum Township Fire Protection District, $80,750.

Catlin Fire Protection District, $101,429.

Cissna Park Fire Protection District, $91,335.

Cullom Fire Protection District, $101,175.

Fairbury Fire Department, $74,775.

Lovington Community Ambulance Service, $40,275.

Ludlow Fire Protection District, $50,300,

Mattoon Fire Department, $68,400.

St. Joseph Stanton Fire Protection District, $58,311.

Watseka Fire Department, $24,501.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security received approximately 21,000 applications for nearly $3 billion in funding. Funding priorities were established based on recommendations from major national fire service organizations and applications were peer reviewed this spring. Funds should be obligated by December.

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