Press Releases

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Terri A. Sewell (D-AL) announced that $844,944 has been awarded to the City of Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) program. The funding will enable Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service to upgrade their firefighting equipment and purchase new cardiac monitors for their ambulances. 

“Our first responders put their lives on the line every day to keep our families safe,” said Rep. Sewell. “We must work to help provide local fire departments with the resources they need, and this grant will help Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service obtain equipment to better protect our communities.”

“This grant will help us better serve the community,” said Ivor J. Brooks, Chief of Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service. “We will use the funding to upgrade the gear we use to fight fires and the equipment our ambulances use to monitor patient heart rates, which will help keep our firefighters safe and upgrade our patient care.”

“We have been slowly upgrading our equipment over the last few years, because it has been hard to find adequate resources,” said Reginald Anderson, Battalion Chief for Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service.  “We will use the funding to equip our firefighters with new protective gear and outfit our ambulances with updated medical equipment.”

The Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program is an integral component in the Department of Homeland Security’s effort to strengthen the nation’s general level of preparedness and capacity to respond to fire and related dangers. AFG awards grants to departments and EMS organizations that are not directly affiliated with a hospital in an effort to enhance their ability to protect the health and safety of the public.

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Contact:   Allison Abney                                                                                                        

(202) 225-2665                                                                                                                                        

Allison.abney@mail.house.gov