The Federal Emergency Management Agency is awarding grants from the Assistance to Firefighters Program, totaling $443,880 to 12 fire departments in Iowa. Included is the Nevada Fire Department, which will be awarded $50,580. This grant is the department’s first from the federal government.

These funds are acquired through the Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety system, which is one of four eligible categories in the Assistance to Firefighters Program.

According to the FEMA Web site at www.fema.gov, a grant from this system gives the department funding for training and fitness activities, fire fighting equipment and protective equipment.

“We need to make sure that local firefighters are properly equipped and have the appropriate training. They are on the front line of safety efforts in these communities,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. “These grants will help ensure that Iowa’s communities are prepared to deal with disasters.”

Nevada Fire Chief Larry Francis was also enthused by his department’s new funding.

“It’s a good thing,” he said. “This gets to us now when we can use it to help the area.”

The Nevada Fire Department, consisting of 28 firefighters, covers not only the town of Nevada, but also the four townships surrounding it, which is a total of 144 square miles. The department also provides emergency services to the area with 10 emergency medical units.

Francis is not surprised about his department’s newfound funds. “We met the criteria,” he said. “They knew we needed the grant.”

Nevada’s fire department will be using the grant to acquire new fire fighting equipment. They are planning to use the funding to buy eight new air packs and a new air compressor.

The air packs are filtration units used by firemen to aid them in breathing clean oxygen in the hazardous situations they may face. The air compressor is used to help maintain a high level of pressure in the water, which in turn helps extinguish fires in less time, with more ease.

FEMA received nearly 20,000 applications this year and is in the process of awarding 5,500 grants.

The awards represent a $360 million investment to the enhancement of local fire and emergency medical services. This is the seventh round of Assistance to Firefighters Grants awarded this year.

The 11 other Iowa recipients are fire departments of Delmar, Dows, Halbur, Hamburg, Jolley, Lidderdale, Lone Tree, Monroe, Thompson, Traer and Wall Lake.