WASHINGTON - The Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) in St. Mary's County has been awarded $100,700 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFGP). The program helps local fire departments buy equipment and provide adequate training.
The Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department will use its $100,700 to purchase 40 sets of personal protective gear, 65 individualized face masks to prevent the inhalation of carcinogens while responding to fire calls, and a machine to test the fit of each firefighter's mask.
The grant comes on the heels of a $96,903 AFGP grant to the Lexington Park Volunteer Rescue Squad that was announced on Nov. 10.
The Department of Homeland Security 2007 spending bill that President Bush signed into law in October 2006 includes $662 million in federal funding for the nation's firefighters through the AFGP.
You can learn more about the AFGP by visiting http://www.firegrantsupport.com/ .