Haleyville Fire/Rescue was awarded $274,761.90 in federal funds on August 11th, 2023 in round 6 of the 2022 FEMA/DHS Assistance to Firefighter’s Grant Program. The grant is a 95/5 matching grant with FEMA providing 95% and the fire department matching 5% or $13,738.10 for a total award of $288,500.

The grant will be used to purchase thirty-two (32) new NFPA compliant Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus, replacing the department’s entire existing inventory of SCBA. The department’s current SCBA range from 7 years old to over 30 years old and the manufacturer is no longer making SCBA for the fire service in the United States. The new SCBA will be manufactured to the latest standards & technology, be lighter weight, more ergonomically designed, and have a 45-minute air supply where the current SCBA only have a 30-minute air supply.

The primary goal of the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) is to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations. Since 2001, AFG has helped firefighters and other first responders to obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards. $324 million dollars was appropriated for the 2022 Assistance to Firefighters Grants program