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The Asbury Park Fire Department is set to receive a $24,700 grant through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant [AFG] program, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., announced Wednesday.

The AFG program is part of a coordinated, ongoing effort by the Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] and the Department of Homeland Security in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration to improve the nation’s ability to respond to emergency situations.

This grant will allow about 15 of the city’s firefighters to take part in training classes that address structural collapses, Asbury Park Fire Chief Kevin Keddy told the Sun. The training entails how to shore up weak structures, rig mechanical systems, lift pieces of equipment, and how to breach and break structures that have collapsed to rescue victims, he said.

“When you do that kind of work, special care has to be taken,” Keddy said.

“It is critical that our brave first responders have all the tools necessary to protect the health and safety of the public and themselves in the case of an emergency,” Pallone said in a prepared release.

Keyport’s Fire Department was also awarded $11,400 in AFG funds.

“I am very pleased that the Department of Homeland Security has selected Asbury Park and Keyport to receive these federal grants,” Pallone said in the release. “These funds will enhance the response capabilities of our emergency personnel, making our community an even safer place to live.”

Grants under the AFG program are awarded directly to fire departments and non-affiliated Emergency Medical Services [EMS] organizations for emergency response equipment, personal protective equipment, firefighting and emergency vehicles, and training.  In Fiscal Year 2013, the AFG program will provide approximately $320 million in competitive grants to first-responder organizations.

[Above screen grab taken from Google Maps.]

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