Moorestown Fire District №1 was recently notified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security that it was awarded $178,500 under the 2009 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG).
The primary goal of the AFG is to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations.
Since 2001, AFG has helped firefighters and other first responders to obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.
The fire district has applied over the past few years for grants that would be utilized to replace 34 aging air packs.
As part of the grant agreement, the fire district will pay 5 percent or $8,925 of the cost and the federal government will pay the balance of $169,575.
The fire district and the volunteer firefighters are excited and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new air packs.
The air packs are being purchased under New Jersey state contract and are expected to arrive the second week in June.