CUELLAR’S OFFICE AND LCC HOST FIREFIGHTER GRANT WORKSHOP
Written by admin, Jun 6, 2011, 0 Comments
Courtesy Jose Borjon,
Representatives from South Texas fire departments in attendance
Laredo, TX – On Friday, the office of Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) along with Laredo Community College held a workshop for fire and EMS departments and cities wishing to establish or grow fire departments through federal funds.
“Workshops that aid organizations in the process of applying for a grant and writing an application prove helpful,” Congressman Cuellar said. “Often, organizations stay away from applying for federal funds because the task may seem daunting. These workshops streamline the application process and are a step closer to ensuring taxpayer dollars return to our communities in the form of federal funds.”
Firefighter grants are awarded through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The presentation, given by Diane Breedlove, a subject matter specialist for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, covered all three grant programs: Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG), Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response Grants (SAFER) and the Fire Prevention Grant. In 2009, the amount awarded to fire departments across the nation is estimated at $737,500,000.
Representatives from Webb, Duval, La Salle, Frio, Zavala, Dimmit and Maverick counties were all invited to attend.
The workshop is particularly timely since Congress is currently debating how much funding to allocate for SAFER and Fire grants. This week, Congressman Cuellar successfully fought for an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act that restores the previous funding levels to the grant programs by $320 million and was approved by a vote of 333-87. Congressman Cuellar will continue to support amendments that support responsible and efficient uses of taxpayer dollars.
