Stabenow, Levin Announce Fire Prevention Grant for Grand Rapids Fire Department

The Grand Rapids Fire Department will receive a federal grant from the Department of Homeland Security to help increase public safety through fire prevention activities, U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin announced today.

The department will receive a $211,850 grant from the Assistance to Firefighters Fire Prevention and Safety Program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security.

"Across West Michigan, our firefighters provide courageous service to communities like Grand Rapids," Stabenow said. "This grant will help make sure they have the resources they need to perform their duties safely and protect the public."

"Firefighters not only fight fires, they work to prevent fires in the first place," Levin said. "This grant will help the Grand Rapids Fire Department carry out its vital mission of protecting lives and property in their community by focusing on activities that will help prevent fires."

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant program allows fire departments across the country to compete for federal grant money in several categories. The award announced today is from the Fire Prevention and Safety Grant program, which helps local fire departments enhance public safety through activities such as fire prevention education and awareness, code enforcement, and fire and arson investigation. Some examples of education and awareness programs would include smoke alarm installations and home safety inspections; code enforcement programs would include increasing awareness of building codes; fire and arson investigations would include support to help fire departments investigate every fire.

More information on the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program can be found at www.fema.gov/firegrants.