A “very good season” on grant awards has netted the Cumberland Fire Department nearly $1 million for operational radio safety upgrades and a new engine, says Fire Chief Nick Anderson.
The two most recent grants won by the department include:
A $452,918 Assistance to Firefighters Grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to pay for a new fire engine, allowing an 18-year-old truck to be placed into reserve service;
and a $547,054 Assistance to Firefighters Grant, also through FEMA, to upgrade operations and safety equipment, specifically communications items such as portable radios, mobile radios, and vehicle repeaters.
The department was allowed to submit for grants in four categories, said Anderson, and was successful in the two important ones of vehicle acquisition and operational safety.