Carmel Fire Department Receives $87,000 Grant

WASHINGTON,D.C.-U.S.Senator Susan Collins, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, announced today that the Carmel Fire Department has received a grant of $87,325 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to strengthen the fire departments' ability to respond to fire and fire-related hazards and improve preparedness.

These funds, known as Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response or SAFER grants, can be used for the recruitment, hiring, or retention of firefighters.  To date, Maine has received more than $3.6 million in SAFER grant assistance.

"I have seen firsthand the dramatic difference these grants can make, especially for small, rural communities that often cannot afford to properly staff their fire departments," said Senator Collins.  "The SAFER grant program is not only about providing the resources necessary for firefighters and other emergency services personnel to carry out their missions at the local level, as important as those are.  It is also about ensuring that these brave men and women are prepared to assist federal first responders in addressing a national level emergency."

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