WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the Sanford Fire Department and the Maine Fire Service Institute in South Portland will receive a total of $552,211 in grant funding through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program.  The Sanford Fire Department will receive a $301,819 Vehicle Acquisition grant, and the Maine Fire Service Institute will receive a ­$250,392 State Fire Training Academy grant.

“Communities across Maine rely on the brave men and women of their local fire departments to help keep them safe,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “The AFG program continues to be an invaluable source of support for our dedicated firefighters and emergency responders, as these grants are an investment in the health and safety of our state’s communities.”

The AFG program is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is an agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The program was created to help assist fire departments and non-affiliated emergency medical service organizations with purchasing equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources to better protect the public and emergency personnel. 

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