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New Canaan Fire Department Awarded Over $28,000 in Grants

WASHINGTON—Connecticut Senators Joe Lieberman and Richard Blumenthal announced today that the New Canaan fire department will receive $28,304 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grants program (AFG), administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The grant will be used for operations and safety.

“Just as we are loathe to send the men and women of our armed forces into battle without the best equipment, we should never ask firefighters to respond to disasters without the best protective gear,” Lieberman said.  “This grant will help supply the New Canaan fire department with up-to-date equipment to keep its community safe - not just from fires, but from the myriad dangers they may have to confront.”

Blumenthal said: “It is essential that we provide the heroic men and women of the New Canaan Fire Department with the resources they need to continue protecting the people of Connecticut. These first responders work in dangerous environments and I will continue to fight for the tools they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.”

Lieberman has a long history of advocating for fire safety.  In 2000 and 2003, respectively, he was a cosponsor of the FIRE and SAFER Acts and on March 10, 2011, introduced the Fire Grant Reauthorization Act of 2011, legislation that reauthorizes the AFG and SAFER programs for five years.  Since the FIRE and SAFER Acts were signed into law, FEMA has distributed 644 grants for a total of over $71 million in Connecticut to help fire departments strengthen their response capabilities.  Lieberman is also a Co-Chair of the Congressional Fire Caucus for the 112th Congress.

Blumenthal has fought to ensure the fair provision of survivor benefits to the spouses and families of police officers and firefighters who have been injured, or lost their lives, in the line of duty.

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