Thompson Announces Grant for Howard Fire Company

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson today announced that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded a $193,990 grant to Howard Fire Company (HFC) Station 14 in Centre County, PA. The grant, which was awarded through the 2011 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program, will assist HFC purchase a new industry compliant tanker truck.

“I want to congratulate Howard Fire Company on their hard work and commitment to the safety and security of Center County residents, and their tremendous effort in demonstrating how HFC is deserving of this investment,” said Rep. Thompson. “The AFG Program is about ensuring our Nation’s emergency responders who every day put their lives on the line have the tools they need to safely do their jobs and save lives.”

"This new tanker will allow us to improve our emergency operations, while ensuring our firefighters and the general public that Howard Fire Company is operating a safe and compliant vehicle in our daily operations," said Mark Ott, HFC 14 President. "These funds will help us meet safety requirements and continue offering emergency response services in our Centre County response area and surrounding communities.”

"We take great pride in the services we provide to our community and this new vehicle will offer a great return on investment,” added Collin Alterio, HFC 14 Chief. “This tanker is an essential tool for our operations, enabling HFC to have water available to fight fires in areas without hydrants, which is 98% of our response area.”

The AFG program is part of the larger, coordinated effort led by FEMA to strengthen the Nation’s overall level of preparedness and ability to respond to fire and related hazards. Using a competitive process that is overseen by U.S. Fire Service subject matter experts, grants are awarded to applicants whose requests best address the priorities of the AFG program.

Howard Fire Company applied for the AFG grant out of an immediate need to replace an outmoded and deteriorating 31 year old tanker which, according to HFC, was originally a milk truck that was converted to a tanker. The new tanker truck is estimated to cost $275,000 with Howard Fire Company investing the remaining dollar amount.

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