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Higgins: Federal funding available to help fire departments with costs related to COVID-19

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Tue, Oct 6th 2020 06:40 pm

Application window for round 2 of emergency aid is now open

Congressman Brian Higgins encouraged local volunteer and combination fire departments to apply for the second round of federal fire grants made available through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Higgins said, “The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is designed to support community readiness in response to emergencies. The impact of the coronavirus outbreak puts a new strain on our first responders. This emergency funding provides necessary resources to support protective equipment and supplies.”

The CARES Act, approved by Congress in March, included $100 million in COVID-19 supplemental funding for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program. This funding is primarily intended to cover the costs of personal protective equipment (PPE), and other specialized needs for firefighters and first responders who are working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With approximately $31 million of these funds yet to be distributed, FEMA has launched a second opportunity for departments to apply. The application submission window is now open with all grant applications due before 5 p.m. Nov. 13.

All volunteer and combination fire departments are eligible to apply in FY20 AFG-S round 2, even if they were awarded funding during the first application period. Departments may resubmit applications if they were not selected in the first wave of applicants. For additional information about this funding opportunity, visit https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/firefighters.

Departments with questions can contact the AFG help desk at [email protected] or 1-866-274-0960.

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