Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., is pleased to announce that Superior area residents will soon have additional firefighting assistance.

The Superior Volunteer Fire Department grant application for fire operations and firefighter safety, submitted under the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, has been approved.

The Superior Volunteer Fire Department will receive $19,250 in grant money, or 90 percent of the approved project cost of $21,389, to improve fire operations and firefighter safety. The remaining $2,139 or 10 percent of the cost will be shared by the town.

"Well equipped local fire departments are important to Wyoming, especially now with the fire danger so high," said Enzi. "This grant money will help guarantee our fire departments are at their best."

Earlier this year, the United States Fire Administration (USFA) accepted applications from career and state-recognized volunteer fire companies for grants that could be used for training, sponsoring education programs and purchasing and updating equipment.

Enzi sent a letter to paid and volunteer fire companies in Wyoming, as well as the Wyoming Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety, that outlined information about the grants.

Nationally, more than 19,500 fire departments applied for grants this year, submitting requests totaling almost $2.2 billion. FEMA and the USFA plan to announce 5,500 grants totaling $360 million. Other Wyoming fire departments may still be eligible to receive fire grants.

More information about the grants is available by visiting the USFA website at (www.usfa.fema.gov/grants).