Bangor & Veazie Fire Departments On List To Receive FEMA Dollars

Some good news for local fire departments in our state...

At a time when almost every organization out there is vying for important federal funds to keep afloat and maintain basic tools and infrastructure to be able to do their jobs, some grant money has become available for a group tasked with maintaining safety for Maine citizens, especially during this recent pandemic. Hopefully this will be a much needed shot in the arm for them.

Fire Departments in twenty-two Maine towns will be receiving over 1.3 million dollars in Federal Grant money to help their upgrade their equipment.

In a press release sent out this week, Maine's Senators Collins and King announced that this aid will allow departments to make necessary improvements their gear; everything from replace outdated mobile communications equipment to purchase tanker trucks.

In a joint statement, the Senators said:

"Firefighters and fire support staff put their lives on the line every day to protect us. This important investment will ensure that our Maine fire departments have the necessary equipment and personnel to continue to keep our families and communities safe in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The funding was awarded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program to provide critically needed resources to equip and train emergency personnel, enhance efficiencies, and support community resilience."

While many of the departments who will receive these federal dollars are located in Southern Maine, over a hundred thousand dollars will come to two local departments: Bangor and Veazie.

The Veazie Fire Department plans to use almost $40,000 to replace an outdated cardiac monitor and buy a second one .

The Bangor Fire Department will be using almost $100-thousand dollars to finally replace their mobile communications equipment.