CONGRESSMAN BISHOP ANNOUNCES $223,600 FEMA AWARD TO HELP RECRUIT & TRAIN CRAWFORD COUNTY FIREFIGHTERS

ROBERTA, GA – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) announced that the Crawford County Commission is receiving a $223,600 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These federal funds are part of the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program which provides funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to help them increase or maintain the number of trained, "front line" firefighters available in their communities.

"The Crawford County Fire Department bravely serves the community and quickly responds to emergencies, and I am glad to see that these federal funds will support our volunteers who put their lives on the line to protect us," said Congressman Bishop. "I will continue work in Congress to make sure that the SAFER Grant program has the resources to help communities like Crawford County recruit and train firefighters without putting additional strain on the county's budget."

"We are very pleased to receive the SAFER Grant," said Crawford County Fire Department Chief Randall Pate. "This grant will help us provide new resources in recruiting volunteers. As you know we are a 100% volunteer department which saves hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to the taxpayers of Crawford County. Volunteers are truly the most valuable recourse any community can have. We hope this grant will allow us to find new ways to attract and train good quality citizens to join the community Fire Department."

There are currently 8 fire stations located in Crawford County with most members being volunteers. The stations serve a population of around 12,000 people. The SAFER Grants program is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).