$45K Grant Awarded To Teaneck Firefighters

TEANECK, NJ - Teaneck Fire Department received a $45,000 federal grant for equipment to help keep firefighters safe on the job.

Administered by the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the funding is part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, which seeks to equip and train emergency personnel for the demanding nature of their work.

On Monday, U.S. Representatives Bill Pascrell, Jr. and Josh Gottheimer visited the department to celebrate the award, which provided Teaneck firefighters with equipment to help decontaminate their gear and protect them from hazardous chemicals, blood-born pathogens, carcinogens, and other contaminants that they may encounter in the line of duty.

Pascrell and Gottheimer, along with U.S. Senator Cory Booker (NJ), all helped secure the grant for the department.

The congressmen were joined Monday by Bob Allen of the New Jersey Firefighters’ Mutual Benevolent Association (FMBA), Teaneck FMBA 242 President Brian Taylor, Teaneck FMBA 42 President Steven Van Master, Teaneck Fire Chief Jordan Zaretsky, Teaneck Township Manager Dean Kazinci, and Teaneck firefighters.

Pascrell said, "This federal investment is game-changer for Teaneck’s Bravest in their work to keep our community protected...The federal government is providing these generous resources and not shifting the burden onto Teaneck and Bergen County – as it should be. With our firefighters watching over us every day, we’re watching out for them in Washington and fighting for every dollar they need.”

Gottheimer said, “We must always get the backs of those who protect our communities, who make us safer, who make our neighborhoods, like here in Teaneck, the places we want to raise our families. Our brave firefighters and first responders put their lives on the line for us each and every day — rushing to the scene of a fire, accident, or threat of terror against our homeland."

“But, our first responders cannot protect us without the resources they need to do their job safely and effectively. When our firefighters charge into an emergency, combating smoke and fire, they and their gear are exposed to harmful, cancer-causing toxins," Gottheimer also said. "To combat this, our fire departments need to be able to fully decontaminate their gear after exposure. With this federal investment for the Teaneck Fire Department, we are clawing our federal tax dollars back here to Jersey away from the Moocher States, standing by our first responders, and making sure they and our community are safe.”