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Last week, the East Peoria Fire Department was awarded a national grant worth more than $136,000.
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant, which is given out annually by the Federal Emergency Management Association, is allocated to fire departments across the country based on their particular needs.
“You can apply for (the grant) every year,” East Peoria Fire Chief William Darin said. “This year we were very fortunate to get it.”
Each year, FEMA awards fire departments across the country funding through the AFG to “strengthen the Nation’s overall level of preparedness and ability to respond to fire and fire-related hazards.” Each city can apply for the funding, which can be used for equipment, modification of facilities, training and wellness and fitness programs.
The $136,124 that the East Peoria Fire Department received from the grant will immediately go toward improving the department’s equipment and facilities.
More than $117,000 of the funding will go towards the purchase and installation of new module defibrillators for city ambulances. The remaining grant money will allow the city to install new fire alarm systems in East Peoria’s three fire stations.
These upgrades came from the city’s need to update their technology and improve their fire systems.
“We’re trying to upgrade our monitor system. Some of them are getting very old and outdated because they’re being replaced by new technology and we just didn’t have the funding to put the fire alarm systems in,” Darin said.
With the state of the city’s budget, Darin said that these improvements would have been difficult to come by without the grant money.
“The state of the budget is still very tight,” he said. “We didn’t have the money to spend the $117,000 for the new monitors… so I was going to (purchase) one per year in the next four year’s budgets.”
While the grant will give East Peoria some financial relief, the city still has to pay 10 percent of the cost for the upgrades.
“We do have to put that (10 percent) in our budget,” Darin said. “But I guess it’s better to have to spend $15,124 than to have to spend over $151,000.”
Darin was informed of being awarded the grants by receiving phone calls from U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s office. The East Peoria Fire Chief said that he was appreciative of the help he received from the state’s national representation.
“We’re very thankful to Sen. Durbin’s office and Congressman Schock’s office for working with us on this,” Darin said. “It was a pleasure that the Congressman called me personally (Wednesday) evening to let me know about the grant and the Senator’s office also called us and advised us that it was on it’s way. We’re very happy.”
Last week, the East Peoria Fire Department was awarded a national grant worth more than $136,000.
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant, which is given out annually by the Federal Emergency Management Association, is allocated to fire departments across the country based on their particular needs.
“You can apply for (the grant) every year,” East Peoria Fire Chief William Darin said. “This year we were very fortunate to get it.”
Each year, FEMA awards fire departments across the country funding through the AFG to “strengthen the Nation’s overall level of preparedness and ability to respond to fire and fire-related hazards.” Each city can apply for the funding, which can be used for equipment, modification of facilities, training and wellness and fitness programs.
The $136,124 that the East Peoria Fire Department received from the grant will immediately go toward improving the department’s equipment and facilities.
More than $117,000 of the funding will go towards the purchase and installation of new module defibrillators for city ambulances. The remaining grant money will allow the city to install new fire alarm systems in East Peoria’s three fire stations.
These upgrades came from the city’s need to update their technology and improve their fire systems.
“We’re trying to upgrade our monitor system. Some of them are getting very old and outdated because they’re being replaced by new technology and we just didn’t have the funding to put the fire alarm systems in,” Darin said.
With the state of the city’s budget, Darin said that these improvements would have been difficult to come by without the grant money.
“The state of the budget is still very tight,” he said. “We didn’t have the money to spend the $117,000 for the new monitors… so I was going to (purchase) one per year in the next four year’s budgets.”
While the grant will give East Peoria some financial relief, the city still has to pay 10 percent of the cost for the upgrades.
“We do have to put that (10 percent) in our budget,” Darin said. “But I guess it’s better to have to spend $15,124 than to have to spend over $151,000.”
Darin was informed of being awarded the grants by receiving phone calls from U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s office. The East Peoria Fire Chief said that he was appreciative of the help he received from the state’s national representation.
“We’re very thankful to Sen. Durbin’s office and Congressman Schock’s office for working with us on this,” Darin said. “It was a pleasure that the Congressman called me personally (Wednesday) evening to let me know about the grant and the Senator’s office also called us and advised us that it was on it’s way. We’re very happy.”
