Washington, Aug 15 -

Today, Congressman Patrick McHenry announced a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant of $51,762 to a local fire department in the Tenth Congressional District.

The grant will go to the City of Lenoir Fire Department in Caldwell County, and comes in the seventh round of this year’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG), which aims to help firefighters and first responders throughout the country.  Local departments applied for the grants, and the program is administered by the Department’s Preparedness Directorate’s Office of Grants and Training. 

“This AFG Grant comes on the heels of Lenoir Fire Department’s receipt of a $503,458 federal SAFER Grant for staffing and personnel recruitment,” Congressman McHenry stated.  “Mayor David Barlow, Chief Ken Briscoe and the entire Lenoir community are to be commended for their great leadership.  These grants will help protect Lenoir’s citizens for years to come.”

According to Lenoir Fire Chief Ken Briscoe, the department will use the funds to purchase new personal protective gear (turnout gear) for their department.  “This grant will allow our department to outfit all of our personnel in fully NFPA-compliant turnout gear.”  Chief Briscoe continued, “Once again, Congressman McHenry has shown why he is the best friend that firefighters have on Capitol Hill.  He is there for us year-in and year-out.  We truly are blessed to have him fighting for us.”      

Lenoir was one of two departments in North Carolina to receive AFG funding in the seventh round of this year’s grant cycle and is the fourth overall Tenth District department to have funds awarded. 

Last fiscal year, twenty-eight departments in the Tenth Congressional District received AFG funding for a total of $3,138,123 in funds disbursed. 

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