NH Delegation Welcomes More Than $1.5M in Federal Funding to Support NH Firefighters

(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, alongside U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), a member of the Homeland Security Committee, and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) welcomed $1,591,818 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support Granite State firefighters in Barnstead, Surry and New Boston, as well as the New Hampshire Department of Safety’s Division of Fire Standards and Training and Emergency Medical Services, through the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program. The AFG program provides direct financial assistance to eligible fire departments in order to enhance the safety of firefighters and the public. 

“This $1.5 million investment in local fire departments will bolster public safety in Barnstead, Surry, New Boston and communities across New Hampshire. Firefighters and first responders need resources to update their equipment and infrastructure so they can respond to crises with timeliness and precision – that’s exactly what these awards do,” said Senator Shaheen. “As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee that helps secure this funding, I’ll continue to prioritize delivering resources that support the essential work of our Granite State first responders.”  

“Fire fighters need state-of-the-art equipment to help keep them safe and to help them save lives. That’s why I’ve worked to secure critical federal grants for New Hampshire fire departments, and I look forward to seeing how communities use these new funds to improve public safety. I will keep working to support New Hampshire’s brave first responders,” said Senator Hassan.

“New Hampshire’s firefighters and first responders confront dangerous situations to protect our communities every day, and we must ensure they have the equipment and resources they need to do their jobs safely,” said Rep. Kuster. “These investments in local fire departments will help to keep firefighters safe and bolster public safety – I’m thrilled to see this funding headed to our state and I will continue working to support Granite State firefighters and first responders.”

“New Hampshire’s firefighters put themselves in harm’s way every day, and I’ll always support our departments as they work to keep Granite Staters safe,” said Rep. Pappas. “These grants will ensure our departments have the equipment they need to serve our communities, and can do so safely. I remain committed to working in a bipartisan manner to support our firefighters and first responders and secure the resources they need.”

A full breakdown of the awards is available below: 

As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Shaheen has consistently fought to support New Hampshire firefighters. In funding legislation for fiscal year (FY) 2022 that was passed by Congress and signed into law earlier this year, Shaheen secured $360 million for the AFG program, and helped include $360 million for the Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response Grants (SAFER) program, which provides grants directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to help them increase or maintain the number of trained, "front line" firefighters available in their communities. Senator Hassan and Shaheen successfully worked to increase funding for the AFG program in the American Rescue Plan that was passed into law. Shaheen also worked to include $370 million for the program in the FY 23 government funding proposal through her role on the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee. 

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