Public Safety
More on Public Safety
Today Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen released the following statement on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) incident report on the August 6, 2015 Silver Line derailment:
Today Maryland Congressmen Chris Van Hollen announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), under the Department of Homeland Security, has awarded a $74,655 grant to the Sykesville Freedom District Fire Department for operations and safety.
U.S. Represenative Chris Van Hollen, together with Senators Barbara A. Mikulski, Ben Cardin and Representatives Steny H. Hoyer, Elijah E. Cummings, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Donna F. Edwards and John Delaney (all D-Md.) today announced $80,619,955 in emergency preparedness grants for Maryland from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The grants, awarded by the DHS Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), will help Maryland prepare for and respond to emergencies.
Today U.S. Representative Chris Van Hollen, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, joined U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Ben Cardin (all D-Md.) to announce that the Gaithersburg – Washington Grove Volunteer Fire Department (GWGVFD) will receive $278,736 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) program.
Today Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen and Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (D-CT) released a letter to FBI Director James Comey requesting an explanation of the breakdown in the background check system that allowed Dylan Roof to purchase the gun he used in the tragedy at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston. Van Hollen and Esty recently introduced legislation to encourage states to require potential handgun buyers to apply for a permit before purchasing a firearm, a policy that has been shown to reduce gun violence in states where enacted.
U.S. Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), along with U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski, Ben Cardin, and Representative John Delaney (all D-Md.) today announced that the Frederick County Division of Fire and Services will receive $575,000 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program to purchase portable radios for interoperable communications.
Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen, along with Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) joined members of Maryland’s Congressional Delegation today in sending a letter to President Obama in support of Governor Hogan’s appeal of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) decision to deny a major disaster declaration for the City of Baltimore following recent unrest after the tragic death of Freddie Gray. If awarded, Maryland will become eligible for federal disaster recovery dollars through FEMA, ensuring the state’s already strained budget is not stretched any thinner.
Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen released the following statement after attending services honoring the life of Reverend Clementa Pinckney at the College of Charleston:
Today Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement on the report released today from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on safety issues at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA):