Maryland Delegation Members Announce Over $951,000 for Firefighter Training, Equipment Upgrades in Prince George’s, Montgomery Counties

Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Glenn Ivey, David Trone, and Jamie Raskin (all D-Md.) announced $951,500.90 in federal funding for fire departments in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties – resources that will enhance emergency response capabilities and ensure better protection for the public and the firefighters. The funding will support individual departments as well as the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute’s (MFRI) State Fire Training Academy, based at the University of Maryland, College Park, and its six regional training centers across the state.

“Our firefighters put their lives on the line to keep their fellow Marylanders safe. This federal funding is an investment in public safety – providing our first responders with the resources and training they need to protect our communities and protect themselves,” said the lawmakers.

The federal grants have been awarded as follows:

1. $429,369.56 to the University of Maryland’s MFRI to support the State Fire Training Academy;
2. $37,283.80 to Bladensburg Volunteer Fire Department to purchase a turn-out gear extractor and dryer;
3. $32,673.63 to Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department to purchase a turn-out gear extractor and dryer.
4. $452,173.91 to Montgomery County Fire & Rescue to support their cancer screening program.

The awards are provided through the Department of Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program with funds from FY2023 annual appropriations, which the lawmakers fought to secure. The lawmakers additionally worked to reauthorize the AFG program through FY2028 within the Fire Grants and Safety Act of 2023, which passed Congress and was signed into law earlier this year.