WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-Md.) today announced the Kent Island Volunteer Fire Department has been awarded $44,672 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program. The award will be used to purchase emergency medical services equipment.
“Our first responders need the right resources at the ready to protect them as they protect the public during natural disasters or man-made crises. They are our first line of defense and we want them all to return home to their families safely,” said Senator Cardin. “This federal funding is an important investment in keeping Maryland families and businesses safe if and when a disaster strikes.”
“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.”
The Kent Island Volunteer Fire Department will use the competitive award to purchase 12 Carbon Monoxide Monitors, which will be used for EMS related calls. With carbon monoxide monitors, first responders can detect carbon monoxide levels when they respond to calls from patients with symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. The Kent Island VFD will also purchase a heart monitor, as well as 4 RAD 57 units which monitor and detect the levels of carbon monoxide and cyanide in the blood. For more information, please contact Paul Schlotterbeck at 410-643-5454.
AFG grants fund firefighting equipment, personal protection equipment, training, firefighting vehicles, firefighter/first responder safety projects, and staffing recruitment and retention, as well as public fire safety education.
Since 2001, Maryland fire departments and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) units have received over $125 million in fire grant funding. Queen Anne’s County Fire & EMS Departments have been awarded over $1.8 million since 2001.
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