Homeland Security grant to bolster Coteau VFD’s training

A Houma volunteer fire department recently received an operational and safety grant totaling $53,580 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for departmental improvements.

The Coteau Volunteer Fire Department in Houma is among several fire departments to receive a monetary award from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program to improve the quality of care they provide to the community.

“ In order to qualify for the grant you had to show a need. We definitely fit that category because we have 20 firefighters who need additional training,” said Coteau Fire Chief Russell Disalvo. “This has been one of our main concerns for years.”

The fire chief said the board members applied for the grant last April. He said a couple of years ago, the volunteer fire department received the same grant to replace its air packs.

The AFG program awards money to firefighters, emergency response personnel and first responders throughout the country to enhance response capabilities and to more effectively protect the health and safety of first responders and citizens in their communities. AFG dollars provide resources for training, first responders health and safety programs, and response equipment and vehicles, said a DHS spokesperson.

Since 2001, the AFG has provided nearly $2.4 billion in grants to fire departments and first-responders organizations for response equipment, personal protection equipment and vehicles and fire prevention activities, according to DHS officials. Last year, the DHS received more than 18,000 applications totaling in nearly $2.5 billion in request.

To date, the AFG program has awarded more than $31 million in direct assistance grants to 316 fire departments and first responder’s organizations in U.S. during the department’s 2006 fiscal year.

“Emergency response is inherently local, and these resources support those who serve us all n our nation’s firefighters,” said the Under Secretary for Preparedness George Foresman.

“By building emergency response capability through training and first responder equipment, the AFG program is helping to strengthen readiness throughout the country. These are smart investments that protect our firefighters and help to save lives in our communities,” Foresman continued.

The Coteau VFD also received $42,000 grant in October through another DHS department to purchase a fire safety trailer for educational and community fire prevention simulations.