Buffalo Fire Department awarded FEMA grant for more training, equipment

By Deidre Williams
The Buffalo News, N.Y.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Fire Department has received a $322,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for new equipment and training for Buffalo firefighters to enhance the department's rescue and lifesaving operations.

The funding is part of FEMA's competitive Assistance to Firefighters grant, according to Mayor Byron W. Brown, who announced the grant Wednesday along with Fire Commissioner William Renaldo and Congressman Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo.

The money will be used to obtain swift water rescue equipment and training, support the city's Automatic External Defibrillators Replacement Program, purchase specialized personal protective equipment for the rescue task force and complete EMS certification skills and CPR certification for all members.

The grant also will be used to send 55 firefighters and 10 officers to EMT and mass casualty incident response training.

"This award represents another step in our Fire Department's evolution into a modern, multi-skilled force," Brown said in a written statement.

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©2019 The Buffalo News (Buffalo, N.Y.)