Grayson Secures $6.5 Million Grant for Orange County Fire Department
Funding Will Help Hire 45 New Firefighters
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Congressman Alan Grayson (FL-09) announced today that the Orange County Fire & Rescue Department (OCFRD) will receive a $6.5 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program that he helped to secure through his grants program.
OCFRD is the fourth largest fire department in the state. It provides critical support to Central Florida’s hospitals, schools, local businesses, and tourist destinations such as Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. Grayson wrote a letter to FEMA in support of OCFRD’s application, and Grayson’s Grants Coordinator met with OCFRD staff. (See Grayson’s letter here.)
FEMA’s SAFER grants provide direct funding to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations to help increase or maintain the number of trained, ‘front-line” firefighters in their communities.
“Thanks to this $6.5 million grant, Orange County’s fire department will have the money to hire 45 new firefighters to serve in our community,” Grayson said. “This funding will allow the fire department to protect our community, and respond to emergencies in one of the state’s most important tourism areas. I am proud to have helped make this grant a reality.”
Grayson has made it a priority to increase the grants awarded to agencies, municipalities, and non-profit organizations in his district. He established a federal grants notification system, which provides constituents and local organizations with details about new grant opportunities under federal agencies. Grayson also hired a full-time grants coordinator in his Orlando office, who helps constituents identify available grants and navigate the federal grants process.
To sign up for Grayson’s Grants Notification System, visit:
Federal Grants Notification System
Congressman Alan Grayson represents Florida’s 9th Congressional District, which includes Osceola County, as well as parts of Orange and Polk counties. He previously served as the U.S. Representative for Florida's 8th Congressional District in the 111th Congress.
