NJ firefighters get $140,000 grant

Fire chief said money will replace outdated equipment on 4 engines and ladder truck

January 24, 2011 08:24 AM

Joseph Ax
The Record

TEANECK, N.J. — The Fire Department will receive more than $140,000 in federal funds, Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez announced this week.

The grant from the Assistance to Firefighters program, which is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, requires $16,000 in matching funds from the town.

Fire Chief Anthony Verley said the money will pay to replace outdated equipment on four engines and a ladder truck, ranging from new hose connectors to power saws to shovels.

“It’s essential equipment,” he said. “We just did not have the budget to replace it.”

The department is also awaiting word on its application for another FEMA award under the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, or SAFER program, which would pay to hire seven new firefighters for two years.