Rehoboth fire company gets almost $200,000 in funding

Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company will be getting a big boost to its operations thanks to a federal grant.

On July 13, it was announced by Sen. Tom Carper and Sen. Chris Coons along with Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester that the fire company will be receiving a $194,105 grant to help support safety and operations.

The grant, called the Assistance to Firefighters Grant, will go toward buying new portable and mobile radio equipment as well as washers and dryers for gear used by the company.

READ MORE: New EMS station near Lewes helps paramedics battle beach traffic

READ MORE: Maryland man rescued when car crashes into ditch

“When an emergency occurs, firefighters are often the first to respond and arrive at the scene," said Carper, co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus and member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, in a release.

"They remain vigilant at all hours of the day in order to respond promptly to an emergency situation in our communities. They risk their lives to keep us safe. We owe it to our firefighters to provide them with the necessary equipment to help ensure they are able to communicate during emergencies.”

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Association and the Department of Homeland Security. The grant goes toward training, expanding resources and enhancing the response capabilities of firefighters as well as unaffiliated EMS organizations.

The funding given by this grant is primarily directed toward enhancing the health and safety of both the public, firefighters and other first responders.

"We are very pleased that we got the grant," said Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company's Public Information Officer Warren Jones. "We definitely needed it."

The company is buying new radios, Jones said, because Delaware is switching to a new radio system in 2023.

Jones said he would like to thank Carper, Coons and Rochester for supporting the grant over the years and allowing Rehoboth Volunteer Fire Company to receive it.

Without the grant, Jones said, the company would have to dip into its operational funding to buy the new radios, and with $4 million worth of capital expenses over the next 10 years, the grant will help the company "tremendously."

“We have seen time and again the remarkable bravery of our first responders and firefighters here in Delaware," Rochester said in a release. "Each day they go to work, they put themselves in harm’s way to protect our communities and fellow citizens. In return for their sacrifice, it is our responsibility to ensure they have the equipment necessary to do their job effectively and safely.”

On Twitter @hughesg19