Today, Rep. Pete Aguilar, announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded $437,487 to the Redlands Fire Department as part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. The department will use the funds to purchase 64 new Self Contained Breathing Apparatuses (SCBA), enough to outfit the entire department and replace existing SCBA equipment that is over 15 years old. The funding will also cover training costs so that the department can repair and maintain the equipment internally.

“I am glad to announce that the Redlands Fire Department will receive these funds, and am glad that they’ll be able to make much needed upgrades to critical safety equipment,” said Rep. Aguilar. He continued, “Firefighters in our community put themselves in harm’s way in the service of others, and they deserve access to the best equipment. Redlands Fire has sent representatives to both of my last two grants training workshops, so this is a department that is serious about using federal resources to help provide services for our local community.”

“We were really excited to receive this grant, and to be able to outfit the entire department with new equipment. We’ve been using critical safety equipment that’s 15 years old, so we’re appreciative to both DHS and Rep. Aguilar for helping to facilitate this process,” commented Firefighter and Paramedic Ryan Gallagher, the department’s Respiratory Protection Manager.

“We are most fortunate to have been awarded this much-needed grant funding. With this grant we will be able to put our firefighters in state of the art protective equipment that will serve for the next decade,” said Jeff Frazier, Redlands Fire Chief.

This grant announcement comes only days after Rep. Aguilar’s announcement that San Bernardino County Fire had received an AFG grant for over $300,000. Inland Empire fire departments recently had the opportunity to learn more about the federal grants process at Rep. Aguilar’s FEMA-AFG Grants Workshop in January.