Scott City firefighters awarded $41,355 grant

The Scott City Fire Department is one of 19 Missouri emergency response crews to receive a helping hand from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

More than $1.1 million in federal dollars from the 2003 Assistance to Firefighters Grant program is destined for disbursement across the state in an effort to bolster emergency preparedness. Scott City was selected to receive $41,355.

Fire chief Jay Cassout told Scott City council members at a Monday night meeting the grant money would be used to purchase a communications and mobile command vehicle for the department.

The department will also replace old radios in emergency vehicles and install the old radios in the school district's buses. Also, plans include buying additional pagers for staff.

Scott City received a homeland security grant in 2002 for about $81,000, Cassout said. That money bought firefighters protective equipment and gear, a thermal imaging camera, air packs, 12 portable radios, training classes, and it paid for firefighter physicals and vaccinations for hepatitis and tetanus.

The grant announcement came Saturday from department Under Secretary Michael D. Brown.

"I'm pleased to announce that this week we're awarding the largest number of fire grants directly to first responders and the communities they serve since we began distributing funds in June," he said.

Across the nation, 489 grants -- worth a total of $35 million -- were awarded in the 17th round. The grants will ultimately total about 7,000 awards worth $750 million in direct assistance to firefighters.

The money will help local departments buy equipment, fund firefighter health and safety programs, enhance emergency medical service programs, and conduct fire prevention and safety programs.

The only other Southeast Missouri agency receiving a grant in this round was the Kennett Fire Department, which received $108,630.

mwells@semissourian.com

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