Cannon County Volunteer Fire Department Receives Federal Grant for Equipment and Training

March 17, 2010 WOODBURY – Congressman Bart Gordon announced the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program will award $136,000 to the Cannon County Volunteer Fire Department for training programs and new protective gear. 

“Every day, countless lives are saved by the courageous efforts of Tennessee’s firefighters,” Gordon said. “Programs like the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program ensure our first responders have the training and equipment to work as quickly and safely as possible.”

The Cannon County Volunteer Fire Department will put the funds toward the purchase of new personal protective equipment, including breathing apparatus, oxygen cylinders and face masks. The grant will also cover costs of additional training for the force, which is made up of 102 volunteer firefighters in seven stations, according to County Fire Chief Faye Morse.

“We’re so appreciative of this grant going through for us,” Morse said. “With the continuing training and upgraded equipment, we will be up to date with the latest safety codes.”

Gordon has been a strong supporter of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, which has awarded more than 1,300 grants to Tennessee first responders since 2000, totaling more than $108 million. In November, Gordon, chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology, helped to pass the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act, which strengthens the AFG program and makes it more accessible to stations and departments suffering economic hardship.