BREWSTER – On Friday August 19th Brewster Fire/Rescue received notification from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that our 2021 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Application has been approved and would receive funding in the amount of $152,000. In providing the award FEMA stated “after considerable consideration, the recipients project described in the narrative and details section of the application which included financial need, project description, cost/benefit, and statement of effect information was consistent with the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program’s purpose and worthy of an award”.
Since 2010 the department has received ten Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) awards and one Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant totaling more than 1.9 million dollars in funding for equipment, fire safety education programs, firefighter training, and staffing.
This year’s award will provide funding for the personnel and contract instructor costs required to deliver NFPA/Pro-Board certified Fire Instructor I and Fire Officer I training to all Brewster firefighters. These programs will significantly enhance the ability of staff members to develop and present training programs within the department and notably deepen their emergency incident decision-making and daily supervisory knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Brewster Fire/Rescue would like to thank the Select Board, Congressman Keating, Senator Warren, and Senator Markey for their support of this vital Federal grant program and for the valuable assistance provided by their offices during this year’s application period. In addition, we would also like to thank our FEMA Region 1 Fire Program Specialists Chris Babcock and Lance Harbour for the comprehensive and expert guidance they delivered to our organization throughout the entire grant process.
