Today, Rep. Pete Aguilar announced that the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District has been selected to receive a $304,348 grant from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. The grant will be used to purchase a mobile Class B fire simulator, allowing the department to provide critical training for firefighters throughout San Bernardino County. The simulator will replace an older stationary model at the Richard Sewell Regional Training Center in San Bernardino.

“Inland Empire first responders have proven their heroism time and time again, and San Bernardino County Fire is no exception. These federal dollars will go toward training and equipment that will keep our community even safer,” said Rep. Aguilar. He continued, “By acquiring a mobile fire simulator, the San Bernardino County Fire Department can ensure that firefighters throughout our community have access to lifesaving training.”

“The AFG Program has afforded San Bernardino County Fire Protection District the opportunity to continue providing state-of-the-art training equipment to our firefighters, in turn providing our citizens with Premier Fire Services,” stated Fire Chief Mark Hartwig. “With a service area stretching over 19,000 square miles, the mobile simulator is an invaluable training tool.”

The AFG is an annual program that has distributed $6.7 billion in grant funding to fire departments across the country since 2001 as part of the federal government’s disaster preparedness efforts. Since coming to office in 2015, Rep. Aguilar has been a steadfast supporter of grant programs such as the AFG that empower local agencies and allow communities like the Inland Empire to better prepare for emergencies. Last year, he hosted a grants workshop for fire departments in San Bernardino County to spread awareness about the AFG program, and in July he announced that the Colton Fire Department had received an AFG grant of over $275,000.