WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) today announced that the Middlefield Volunteer Fire Department received a federal grant from the Department of Homeland Security in the amount of $92,520. The funding was administered through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, which ensures local firefighters have the resources necessary to protect their communities.

“Our local first responders need up-to-date equipment and training so they can continue their work protecting our communities and saving lives,” said DeLauro. “I congratulate the Middlefield Volunteer Fire Department for being awarded this competitive grant.”

“This funding will be used to replace out-dated pagers and portable radios for the firefighters and the firehouse and new dual band mobile radios for the trucks, enabling us to better communicate with our staff and with neighboring departments. These funds will bring us up-to-date, which we otherwise could not afford to do,” said Fire Chief Terry J. Parmelee.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant program awards one-year grants on a rolling basis throughout the year to fire departments. The Department of Homeland Security Office of Domestic Preparedness received over 20,000 requests for funding, totaling over $2.6 billion. In 2004, the program had $750 million to allocate.