More Fire Funding: Lance in Raritan Township Brings News of $300K Federal Grant
More Fire Funding: Lance in Raritan Township Brings News of $300K Federal Grant
HUNTERDON COUNTY, N.J. --- Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) visited the Raritan Township Fire Company today to announce the department has earned a $310,455 federal grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Today’s news comes after last week’s announcement of $292,169 in federal grants for the Quakertown, Clinton and High Bridge fire departments. Lance has now secured over $2 million dollars in federal grants to help local departments fill staffing or procure equipment.
“These federal funds are designed to grant resources for critical need. The volunteer team in Raritan Township does an outstanding job every single day. Firefighters need new gear and upgrades to personal protective equipment and FEMA has resources dedicated to help fund it. The fire company, under the direction of Chief Day, earned this merit-based grant by demonstrating a smart plan to use the funding to help this all-volunteer crew. I trust the team here and I know the volunteers will continue to keep Raritan Township safe,” said Lance.
The Raritan Township Fire Company (RTFC) was founded in 1958 and is all-volunteer. It currently operates out of three firehouses and is responsible for the 38 square miles surrounding the borough of Flemington, including the life and property of over 25,000 residents. On average, the fire company responds to 600 yearly calls and participates in many community events. RTFC also hosts the Annual 9/11 Stairclimb at the Hunterdon Medical Center parking deck. It is a highly trained fire company, approximately 40 members strong, which provides mutual aid and responds to emergencies with multiple organizations throughout the county, including the fire departments of Flemington, Three Bridges, Readington, Annandale, Sergeantsville, Amwell Valley, West Amwell, and Quakertown and the rescue squads of Flemington-Raritan and Amwell Valley. It also operates one of seven county-wide FAST/RITs and participates in the Hunterdon County Technical Rescue Task Force.
Lieutenant James Kraus said of the award, “On behalf of the Raritan Township Fire Company I would like to thank Congressman Leonard Lance for coming down to the station to meet with the members. This is the largest grant we have received for the fire company. The FEMA grant money will be used to replace the outdated and soon to be out of service equipment. Our equipment is worn everyday on every call by our state certified firefighters. We need the best equipment when we are inside a burning building searching for victims and extinguishing fire.”
RTFC manages 15 pieces of apparatus: 2 ladder trucks (a 100' tower ladder and a 75' aerial), 3 engines, 1 squad, 1 brush truck, 1 rescue service vehicle, 1 SUV command vehicle, 3 all-terrain "gators", 1 utility pickup,1 fire police car, 1 fire police ambulance and 1 antique engine. Today’s funding announcement will help procure personal protective equipment.
As a member of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, the Seventh District lawmaker has voted to increase federal investments for both the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programs. These programs were created by Congress to help address the significant staffing, equipment, training and health and safety needs of our Nation's First Responders.