The Office of Domestic Preparedness has awarded the Chestnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department in Jefferson County $31,232 through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. 

As a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security which funds FEMA and a member of the Congressional Fire Caucus, Congressman Wamp is a strong supporter of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, which provides funding for both volunteer and career fire departments. 

"Many of us don't think about fire fighters until we need them and pick up the phone to call 911," Wamp said. "That's often a problem for volunteer fire departments that depend on the good-will contributions of their communities to provide the kind of services that keep people safe and insurance rates low. This grant program is one of the federal government's success stories because it gets the funding that folks need down to the local level so that we are better prepared for whatever danger lies ahead."

Chestnut Hill Fire Chief George Owenby said the grant will enable his volunteers to purchase essential safety and deployment items such as new self-contained breathing apparatuses and updating communications equipment to better protect the residents it serves.

"I think Congressman Wamp has played a huge part in getting these types of grants and a small community fire department like us really appreciates all the help we can get," Owenby said.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is administered through the U.S. Fire Administration, which assists firefighting departments throughout the United States.  The funds are used to increase the effectiveness of firefighting operations, fire fighter health and safety programs, new fire apparatus, emergency medical service programs, and fire prevention and safety programs.