WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., today announced $1,174,106.32 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant funding to support safety upgrades for fire departments in eight Mississippi communities. The grants have been awarded under FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program.

“Each year, FEMA’s assistance to firefighters helps Mississippi communities make investments in the health, safety, and training of their emergency personnel,” Wicker said. “This first round of grants will ensure more firefighters across our state have access to the safety equipment they need to save lives.”

“Firefighters, as first responders, require proper equipment to do their jobs well. These Assistance to Firefighters Grants will help these departments acquire upgrades that they might have had to do without otherwise,” said Hyde-Smith. “I look forward to additional grants being awarded to municipal and volunteer departments throughout the state.”

AFG grants are awarded on a competitive basis by FEMA in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration. Many more Mississippi fire departments are expected to receive grants throughout the remainder of the year.

The latest grants for Mississippi include:

• Harrison County - $623,527.27 to replace the self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBAs) for the county fire service.
• Mendenhall Fire Department, Mendenhall - $259,142.86 for new SCBAs and a new cascade system.
• Dry Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Booneville - $100,809.52 for new SCBAs, air bags, and masks.
• New Albany Fire Department, New Albany - $69,910.48 for two exhaust capture systems, a washer/extractor, and drying cabinet.
• Falkner Fire Department, Falkner - $42,857.14 for new SCBAs and a new cascade system.
• Columbia Fire Department, Columbia - $40,000 for a cascade system.
• Puckett Volunteer Fire Department, Puckett - $34,047.62 for hoses and safety equipment for trucks.
• Northeast Itawamba Fire Department, Inc., Golden - $3,811.43 for a thermal imaging camera.