The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded $268,785 to the King County Fire Protection District 44 for a vehicle acquisition

All told, FEMA awarded $1,583,085 from the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program to local fire departments and organizations in Washington state.

Nationally, the 2008 AFG awards will provide approximately $500 million to fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations throughout the country.

The recent round of AFG awards amounts to almost $18 million and includes grants provided to several fire departments and organizations in Washington.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grants program is an important component of the administration’s larger, coordinated effort to strengthen the nation’s overall level of preparedness. The AFG is designed to enhance response capabilities and to more effectively protect the health and safety of the public with respect to fire and other hazards.

The grants enable local fire departments and emergency medical services organizations to purchase or receive training, conduct first-responder health and safety programs, and buy equipment and response vehicles.