From The Fallston Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Company:
The Fallston Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Company (FVFAC) proudly announce that we have been notified by U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski’s office of our selection to receive a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) in the amount of $278,711.00. This grant will be utilized to replace forty Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) used by our responders. Additionally through the sale of the existing SCBA currently in use FVFAC should be able to cover the 5% matching funds required by the guidelines of the grant program.
“By replacing our existing SCBA which are more than ten years old, FVFAC responders will have access to the latest technological advancements in breathing apparatus which relates to a safer environment for our members to perform our work” states FVFAC Chief Will Rosenberg. Benefits of the newer SCBA include longer duration working time in a hazardous atmosphere, advanced Personal Alert Safety System (PASS) devices, and better vocal communication when using the air masks. “These innovations will help us to see that “everyone goes home”, which is the most important thing we do for our personnel” Rosenberg said.
The awarding of this grant is the culmination of an extensive amount of work by many people. The vast majority of the “front end” work for the grant application process was carried out by FVFAC Assistant Chief Robert Stanton and our grant writer. Without this initial work, and the efforts of several other officers and administrative staff of FVFAC “behind the scenes” helping to forward requested information and working on the online registration, this grant would have not been possible. This grant is the largest that the FVFAC has received, tripling our prior high award, and will allow FVFAC to continue our solid financial platform while moving forward with other projects.
Its SCBA, not SCUBA gear as the title says.
What? Says SCBA?
Looks like the “anti-big gubmint” anti-tax, against everything Fallston area folks in the FVFAC are more than willing to accept OUR tax dollars to replace aging equipment within THEIR organization. Can they spell “hypocrisy” ????? 🙂
We already pay for your section 8 voucher and your disablity checks so why not.
How many times was the old equipment actually used in the last 10 years for rescue purposes? Willing to guess very little. Susquehanna Hose company probably handles most of the calls.
How often? EVERY TIME they enter a smoke filled building. Not like these units are optional, or designed to last forever.
Exactly, how many fires have they actually responded to?
More than a busier department with the same issue.
Guess the right zip code gets you rewarded.
Just a quick follow up to the zip code comment. The grant process is a long, drawn out process, that involves a lot of volunteer time. When awarding the grants, it is not based on zip codes, it is based on who took the time to do the work and jump through the hoops to save their community money while ensuring their fire fighters are properly equiped.
As for amount of use, even if the equipment is only used one time, it is well worth the money. You can not put a value on having the proper equipment to save a life. There a federal guidelines that specify when equipment expires or needs to be replaced.
It would be nice if every fire company in the county could win grants every year, but that is not reasonable, so let’s celebrate with the ones that do. The money was going to be given out, be happy that Harford County got a piece of the pie.
People across the country provided tax dollars for this purchase. For those of you that object to sending money out of Harford County for National Parks and Mass Transit projects, this is an opportunity for you to evaluate your hypocrisy.
Now maybe they can stop asking me to donate money for a ride in the ambulance – isn’t that why we pay County Tax?
just sayin………………