Washington, D.C. – Representative Paul Gosar, DDS (AZ-04) issued the following statement in response to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) decision to award Lake Havasu City $285,200 under FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighter Grant Program (AFG) and $4,102,575 under FEMA’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant progam.

“I am pleased to announce that Lake Havasu City will receive these critical funds to make necessary repairs to help firefighters and first responders obtain the necessary equipment, training, and other resources to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.

The awarding of these important grants demonstrates the city’s commitment to ensuring the safety of its residents and visitors,” concluded Congressman Gosar.

Lake Havasu City Fire Department Chief Peter J. Pilafas added “the Lake Havasu City Fire Department is grateful for the award and appreciates the opportunity to increase the level of service we can provide to our growing community.”

Background:

On September 21, 2022 Lake Havasu City received notification from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of two grant awards under FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighter Grant Program (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER). The AFG grant provides Lake Havasu City with $285,200.00 in federal funding plus a 10% match from the city totaling $28,520.00. The SAFER grant provides $4,102,575.07 with no matching funding from the city.

The AFG funds will aid the Lake Havasu City Fire Department to purchase a system to capture and extract diesel exhaust fumes from the fire stations. The new diesel exhaust removal systems will directly improve the health and safety of our firefighters by reducing their exposure to exhaust fumes when starting the apparatus in the fire stations. The city is committed to our members’ health and safety, and reducing the exposure to carcinogens significantly aids in that effort.

The SAFER grant is intended to assist local fire departments in enhancing their staffing and deployment capabilities to better respond to emergencies. The Fire Department will use this grant to hire eleven Firefighter/Paramedics or Firefighter/EMTs, allowing us to improve our service to our growing community and prepare for future demands. It will also increase safety during emergency operations, improve response times and meet industry standards.

The duration of the SAFER grant is three years. The grant will cover 100 percent of each new employee’s salary and benefits.