CALIFORNIA, Md. (December 16, 2011) -- The Second District Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad in Valley Lee has been awarded $55,100 in federal grant funds through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. The grant award will be used for the procurement and installation of a Vehicle Exhaust Extraction System for the station’s fire apparatus and ambulance bays.

The Back-In 100% Capture Extraction System will reduce health and safety risks associated with diesel exhaust and carbon monoxide, preventing the carcinogenic hazards from lingering within their Fire and EMS bays and spreading to adjoining areas such as living quarters, office space, and community hall. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have declared this exposure an occupational carcinogenic hazard and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1500-2002 “recognizes and advocates the need for elimination and containment of all vehicle exhaust emissions to a level of no less than 100% effective capture.”

Grant funds made available through the AFG Program are awarded to fire departments and EMS organizations across the nation to enhance their response capabilities and more effectively protect the health and safety of the public and emergency response personnel. Since 2001, AFG has provided nearly than $6 billion in assistance to first-responder organizations to obtain emergency response equipment, personal protective equipment, firefighting and emergency vehicles, and training. In this current round, the AFG will award approximately $405 million in competitive grants to fire departments and nonaffiliated EMS organizations throughout the nation.

For more information about the AFG Program, visit http://www.fema.gov/firegrants/.

Source: Office of Steny Hoyer