BOROUGH OF GARWOOD TO RECEVIE $62,225 FEDERAL SECURITY GRANT

GARWOOD, NJ – Rep. Leonard Lance (NJ-07) today announced that the Garwood Borough Fire Department received a $62,225 grant from the U.S. Homeland Security Department to purchase new safety equipment. Lance made the announcement at the Garwood Fire Department with Garwood Borough fire and town officials.

The funds will help underwrite the cost of purchasing 12 self-contained breathing apparatuses and six air tanks. Fire officials say the new self contained breathing apparatuses are lighter weight and will provide additional safety features that their existing air packs do not. The new equipment will allow firefighters to replace their air packs on the site while responding to a fire without causing contamination to the quality of the firefighters’ air. The air packs also will allow firefighters to better communicate with fire officials during emergencies.

“Garwood firefighters dedicate their lives to serving and protecting our community and we owe them our gratitude,” Lance said. “These important federal funds will ensure that Garwood’s first responders have the right resources they need to carry out their important jobs in responding to emergencies and keeping our communities safe.”

Ed Silver, Garwood’s fire chief, said the borough’s 43 volunteer members respond to about 185 emergency calls annually.

“The new breathing packs are lighter weight and will provide additional safety features for our firefighters,” said Silver. “In these tough economic times, these additional federal funds are very essential to our department. We appreciate Congressman Lance for his support for Garwood and his commitment to obtaining important federal funding for our local fire department.”

Earlier this year, Lance held a special workshop for Seventh Congressional District fire personnel and local town officials to discuss the availability of federal security funding, and he regularly assists local officials in applying for those funds.

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