The firefighters at the Hazel Park Fire Department can breathe a sigh of relief now that grant funding has been acquired to modernize their self-contained breathing apparatuses — the air tanks they wear on their backs as they enter burning structures.
The funding comes by way of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, or AFG. In Oakland County, more than $1.2 million in federal grants were awarded this year to three fire departments, with the aim of modernizing equipment and increasing staff.
Hazel Park’s share is $113,334. Northville received $471,838 and Auburn Hills received $443,106. In the past, Hazel Park has also been a recipient of another federal grant called the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response program, or SAFER.