Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $358,096 to Midland Fire Company to Purchase New Fire Engine

Today U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin(both D-Md.)announced today that the Midland Fire Company of Allegany County has been awarded $358,096 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) to purchase a new pumper tanker to replace their current 1990 tanker that is outdated and in need of replacement.

"This grant will help the Midland Fire Company protect the town and surrounding communities in Allegany County - especially areas without fire hydrant service, which are prevalent across Western Maryland," said Senator Van Hollen."We must fight to protect this grant program, which gives first responders across Maryland the tools and equipment they need to respond to emergencies and save lives."

"Midland's first responders deserve every resource they need to safely go about the difficult and dangerous business of saving lives. This federal investment delivers exactly that, helping to ensure more of our firefighters return home safely," said Senator Cardin. "I'm committed to bringing these critical investments to first responders across our whole state."

The AFG program awards grants directly to fire departments, nonaffiliated Emergency Medical Services (EMS) organizations, and state fire training academies to enhance their ability to protect the health and safety of the public, as well as that of first-responder personnel. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Van Hollen worked to secure $345 million for the AFG program in the recent budget agreement for Fiscal Year 2017.