Columbia, MD — The Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services (HCDFRS) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded $544,060 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program for emergency firefighting equipment and a ‘mayday’ training program. With the continued support of Senator Barbara Mikulski and Senator Ben Cardin, the grant will further initiatives to enhance firefighter tracking and safety during significant incidents and other emergencies.
“I know how important this funding is to Maryland communities – often it’s the difference between life and death. First responders protect our homes and communities, and the federal government has a responsibility to protect them by providing them with the tools they need to do their jobs safer and smarter,” Senator Mikulski said.
“Our first responders need the right resources and skills at the ready to protect them as they protect the public during natural disasters or man-made crises. They are our first line of defense and we want them all to return home to their families safely,” said Senator Cardin.
This competitive award will be used for an electronic personal accountability system which will allow the commanding officer of an incident to track the location and function of all firefighters during an emergency. The funding will also be used to implement the International Association of Firefighter’s Fire Ground Survival Training program focused on ‘mayday’ prevention.
“I want to thank Senator Mikulski and Senator Cardin (both D-Md.), and all the members of our congressional delegation, for their continued support of our first responders. Nothing is more important than the safety of our personnel,” said Executive Ken Ulman.
“During an incident response, keeping account of personnel is key,” said Fire/EMS Chief William Goddard. “Tracking is currently done by hand, but this new digital technology will provide real-time live feeds, significantly improving our capabilities.”
AFG grants fund firefighting equipment, personal protection equipment, training, firefighting vehicles, firefighter/first responder safety projects, and staffing recruitment and retention, as well as public fire safety education. Since 2001, Maryland fire departments and emergency medical service units have received nearly $125 million in fire grant funding. HCDFRS has been awarded over $1.8 million since 2001.