The Drexel Heights Fire District will be able to purchase vital equipment and provide training for the equipment, thanks to a $400,000 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). DHFD will use the funds to purchase Cardiac Monitor / Defibrillator equipment and to provide training. The AFG’s purpose is to make direct awards to fire departments to enhance their ability to protect the health and safety of the public. The new units being purchased have significantly more features than the existing units and will connect directly to the District’s recently deployed computer tablet patient reporting system. Cardiac Monitor / Defibrillators are used to monitor and interpret a patient’s heart rhythm and when necessary, deliver an electrical shock to the patient to restart a heart that has stopped beating.