Utica Fire Department receives $500,000 in federal funding

UTICA — U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, both Democrats from New York state, announced that the Utica Fire Department has received $500,000 in federal funding. 

The money was allocated through the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program and will be used to purchase a new fire truck. The department’s current truck is 30 years old. 

Schumer said he wrote to DHS to support the Utica Fire Department’s application for the grant. “It is essential that we provide our firefighters with the equipment they need to stay safe on the job,” Schumer said in a release. 

“This funding is great news for the Utica Fire Department, which will now be able to purchase a new fire truck. Up-to-date equipment is critical for our local fire departments, and the new fire truck will help our first responders better respond to emergencies and remain safe as they protect their our communities,” Gillibrand said. 

The AFG Program is administered by DHS’ Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in cooperation with the department’s United States Fire Administration. The grants are awarded on a competitive basis to the applicants that most closely address the program’s priorities.