MOUNT HOLLY, N.J. - Congressman Jim Saxton announced today that the Medford Farms Fire Company, a volunteer unit that serves the township of Tabernacle, has received a $113,000 grant from the United States Fire Administration (USFA).

 The grant was awarded under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. The program handles $750 million in grant funds, up from $360 million in 2002. Total requests for grant money total nearly $2.5 billion, making this a particularly competitive grant.

 The USFA is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has been incorporated with many other agencies into the Department of Homeland Security.

 The grants are distributed in four broad category groups. Medford Farms Fire Company's grant falls under the Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety Program which covers training, wellness and fitness, firefighting equipment, personal protective equipment, and modifications to fire stations and facilities. The fire company will obtain self-contained breathing apparatuses with the funds.

         "The grant money will be used to purchase new oxygen tanks for the firefighters of the Medford Farms Fire Co." Saxton said. "They also plan to purchase a new air compressor to fill the tanks."

 According to the National Fire Protection Association, volunteer and combination fire departments protect over half of America.

 "These grants are all part of a broader plan to make our country safer," said Saxton. "By funding equipment for first responders, the Department of Homeland Security is not only improving individual fire companies and their service to local citizens, but it is also building a network of well-equipped first responders nationwide."