Alexandria Fire Department Receives More Than $300,000 in FEMA Funds for Training

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- The Alexandria Fire Department has received $337,656 in FEMA funding for training, Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced Friday.

U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced today that Virginia fire departments will receive $693,533 in federal funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program. The AFG program supports local fire departments by providing funds for new equipment and training. The two other fire departments that received funds were in Big Stone Gap and Independence, Va.

“Virginia’s first-responders, including the firefighters who put themselves at risk every day, must be well-equipped to handle threats to public safety,” said Sen. Warner in a news release. “These federal funds will help provide them with the tools and training they need to be able to carry-out their duties and protect our communities.”

The primary goal of FEMA’s AFG program is to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire-related hazards by providing direct financial assistance to eligible fire departments, nonaffiliated Emergency Medical Services organizations and State Fire Training Academies for critically-needed resources to equip and train emergency personnel to recognized standards, enhance operations efficiencies, foster interoperability, and support community resilience.

Additionally, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, headquartered in Fairfax, will receive $1,770,010 in funding from FEMA’s Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant program for recruitment practices nationwide. The SAFER program provides funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to help them increase or maintain the number of trained, front-line firefighters available in their communities.

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