Senators Stabenow, Peters Announce Assistance for Southeast Michigan Fire Departments

U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters today announced that the Washington Township Fire Department, Westland Fire Department and Inkster Fire Department will receive funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Program.

The Washington Township Fire Department will receive $140,394 from the AFG Program to help fund training programs, update equipment and facilities, and provide new supplies to help first-responders handle hazards efficiently and effectively. The funding for the Westland Fire Department and Inkster Fire Departments comes from the SAFER Program and will be used for hiring, recruiting, and retaining first responders. The Westland Fire Department will receive $2,314,611, and the Inkster Fire Department will receive $1,819,200.

"Firefighters put their lives on the line every day to protect our families, homes, and communities," said Senator Stabenow. "This support will help make sure our fire departments have the resources they need to answer the call in an emergency."

"Our first responders face extremely dangerous situations while working to protect our communities," said Senator Peters. "These resources will help our Southeast Michigan fire departments ensure that we have enough firefighters serving our communities, and that they have the right tools and training to do the job safely."

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant AFG Program and the SAFER Program are both administered by the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The purpose of the programs is to ensure that fire departments nationwide are fully staffed and equipped with the best technology to strengthen the Nation's overall level of preparedness and ability to respond to fire and related hazards.