BALDWIN, La. (KLFY) – Baldwin Volunteer Fire Department Officials received notification today that the department has been named as the recipient of an Assistance to Firefighters Grant through FEMA.With the $136K grant, 15 sets of fire personal protective gear and 15 SCBAs (self-contained breathing apparatus) will be purchased for members.

“This grant is so important to us and the community, it’s really hard to quantify how important it is,This year we hired an outside grant writer to assist us; as these grants have become very competitive over the last decade”, said Baldwin Fire Chief Lance Mire.

The cost to outfit a firefighter with the proper firefighting gear and communications is approximately$10,000 per firefighter.

With budget cuts on all levels of government, small departments struggle to maintain adequate equipment to meet NFPA standards. The award of this grant allows Baldwin Fire Department to stay up to date and helps insure our firemen safely return home to their families following a fire call.

We would like to thank US Senator Bill Cassidy, MD and his team for their support in obtaining this grant and also Captain Cody Pinell for spear heading the grant application process.

The primary goal of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) is to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations.

Since 2001, AFG has helped firefighters and other first responders obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources necessary for protecting the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.