Washington, D.C. – Fort Laramie is set to receive federal funding to better prepare its fire department in areas of firefighter safety and fire operations, according to U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo.

The Fort Laramie Rural Fire District will receive $30,935 in federal funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. Fire departments can use the money for training, firefighter wellness and fitness, firefighting equipment, personal protective equipment and modifications to fire stations and facilities.

"Disaster strikes even in small communities and the local fire firefighters are there for residents. This funding is there for the firefighters so they can be better prepared to help the people in their communities," said Enzi.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant program awards one-year grants directly to local fire departments to enhance their abilities to respond to fire and fire-related hazards in their communities. For fiscal year 2003, the Department of Homeland Security is distributing $750 million nationwide in firefighter grants. This is up from $360 million in fiscal year 2002.

Grantees share in the cost of the funded project at a percentage based on the population of their respective jurisdiction. Grantees that serve jurisdictions of 50,000 or fewer residents are required to provide a non-federal cost-share of 10 percent, while grantees that serve jurisdictions of over 50,000 provide a 30 percent cost-share.

A complete state-by-state listing of applications, financial information and known data from the fire service requests can be found at (www.usfa.fema.gov/inside-usfa/03requests.cfm).

Fire departments with questions regarding the grant program can reach the Emergency Preparedness and Response Grant Program staff at 1-866-274-0960, or by writing to usfagrants@fema.gov.