Pallone Helps Secure Federal Funding for Perth Amboy Fire Department

For Immediate Release

July 25, 2024

Contact: Victoria Bonney, 202-225-4671

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-New Jersey) today announced he helped secure $90,909 in federal funding for the City of Perth Amboy. The funding was made possible through the Assistance to Firefighter Grants (AFG) Program and will be used for training firefighters and fire officers.

“This grant is great news for the City of Perth Amboy. Our fire professionals perform incredible work every day to keep our communities safe and healthy,” said Congressman Pallone. “Every day, we ask our first responders to wear multiple hats and be prepared for any type of emergency. This funding ensures the brave men and women of our fire department have the training they need to save lives.  I’ll continue to help bring federal funding to New Jersey to support our community heroes.”

“We are immensely grateful to FEMA for this generous grant of $90,909.09 through the Assistance to Firefighters Program. This funding supports the essential training and development of our dedicated fire department. Over the past 10 years, our Fire Department has received 12 FEMA grants, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to excellence in emergency services. By providing Rapid Intervention and Rescue training for all our fire officers and EMT certification for our new fire officers, we are enhancing our emergency response capabilities and ensuring the safety and well-being of our community,” said Mayor Helmin Caba. “Congratulations to our fire department for this well-deserved recognition, and thank you to Congressman Pallone Jr. for your continued support in securing these vital resources for Perth Amboy.”

“This grant will provide funding to the Perth Amboy Fire Department for training programs, including rapid intervention crew operations for all firefighters and fire officers, Fire Officer I training for all fire officers, and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training for seven firefighters,” Fire Chief Edward Mullen said. “This fall, we will now be able to run EMT training for 25 firefighters so the vast majority are certified EMTs. In addition to all the fire related incidents our department responds to annually, we also respond to all serious life-threatening medical emergency calls throughout the city as first responders, working hand-in-hand with our EMS Provider Hackensack Meridian University Hospital JFK EMS to ensure the safety of our residents. We thank all our elected officials including Congressman Pallone and Senator Booker who have both personally supported our grant application which resulted in another successful grant award.”

This AFG award brings the total to more than $8 million dollars in federal funding the city received over the past decade to support the work of first responders.

The AFG program is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Department of Homeland Security and is part of a coordinated effort to improve the nation’s ability to respond to emergency situations. AFG awards grants directly to fire departments and Emergency Medical Services organizations (EMS) that are unaffiliated with a hospital to enhance their ability to protect the health and safety of the public, as well as that of first responder personnel. Since its implementation in 2001, the AFG program has provided approximately $8.4 billion to fire departments and EMS organizations across the country.

Congressman Pallone has consistently supported the AFG program since its creation. He recently voted to reauthorize the Fire Grant and Safety Act, which was signed into law on July 9, 2024. The law provides five years of continued funding for the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), the Assistance to Firefighter Grants Program, and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant (SAFER) Program.

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Tapinto (English): https://www.tapinto.net/towns/raritan-bay/sections/police-and-fire/articles/perth-amboy-fire-dept-receives-90k-federal-grant
Tapinto (Spanish): https://www.tapinto.net/towns/raritan-bay/sections/noticias-en-espanol/articles/el-departamento-de-bomberos-de-perth-amboy-recibe-una-subvencion-federal-de-90k