From From the office of U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski:
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) today announced that the Kingsville Volunteer Fire Department in Baltimore County has been awarded $95,239 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program. As Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Mikulski fights each year to increase federal funding for the fire grants program. Senator Cardin is a member of the Senate Finance Health Care Subcommittee.
“I know how important this funding is to Maryland communities – often it’s the difference between life and death. First responders protect our homes and communities, and the federal government has a responsibility to protect them by providing them with the tools they need to do their jobs safer and smarter,” Senator Mikulski said. “Every day when our first responders report for duty, they don’t know what they will face. That’s why I fight every year for the equipment, training and staffing our protectors and communities deserve.”
“This grant will keep safe those who keep us safe by making it possible to install an automatic fire suppression sprinkler system in a soon-to-be-built new firehouse,” said Senator Cardin. “Investing in our first responders is one of the best ways to keep our communities safe, and I’ll keep working to ensure those federal investments continue to be strengthened.”
The Kingsville Volunteer Fire Department will use this federal funding to install an automatic sprinkler fire suppression system in their new fire station which is due to break ground next spring. For more information, contact Mike Berna at 410-887-5773.
The AFG Program of the DHS, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an important component of the larger, coordinated effort to strengthen the Nation’s overall level of preparedness and ability to respond to fire and related hazards. Since 2001, the AFG has provided approximately $6.4 billion in grants to first-responder organizations to obtain much-needed emergency response equipment, personal protective equipment, firefighting and emergency vehicles, and training. Over the course of 2016, the AFG will award $304.5 million to first-responder organizations that need support to improve their capability to respond to fires and emergencies of all types.
Since 2001, Baltimore County Fire Departments and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) units have received more than $16.4 million from the AFG. Statewide, Maryland has received $196 million since 2001 through the AFG.
Tax payer money well spent.
Hardly. The Maryland Fire Chiefs Association was an advocate of and lobbyist for the inclusion of sprinkler systems for all new homes constructed in the state. This certainly caused builders to incur added cost during construction and was absolutely passed on to every subsequent home buyer. There were no Homeland Security grants to mitigate those expenses which were mandated directly as a result of the Fire Chiefs Association lobbying. It makes sense to me that the fire company alone should have to bear the added cost of a sprinkler system for their own building since they are such ardent proponents of the technology.
All of this is fine and dandy, but who would have ever thought that Homeland Security would end up giving out grants to local Fire Departments. Homeland Security was supposed to be an organization that was aimed at preventing terrorist threats. The expanse of their duties and allowances has become far greater than the original mandate. Homeland Security should be disbanded and their operatives reassigned to agencies that already are performing the tasks that this agency overlaps. They have no regulation, have been involved in numerous privacy breaches and no one seems to be able to truly define this monster. Its great that Kingsville Fire Department got this grant. However, I question why it was awarded by this agency and where the agency ever got the authority to issue grants in the first place.
Like I said harford co leaders do what they want, when they what, regardless of whether it’s legal or not. I’m sure someone other then consumers or citizens made money on this. Tax payers are swine to be fenced and killed, but not until they are drained of funds. I hope anyone who is considering moving into harford co does some real political investigations first! There are nothing but nazi scum running this entire state.