Today, U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, announced the awarding of a $346,410 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant to the Secaucus Fire Department. The funds, made available through FEMA’s Port Security Grant Program (PSGP), will provide Secaucus with a new marine vessel to combat fires along the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers.

"Our firefighters must have the tools and resources necessary to meet the ever-evolving demands of their jobs. This grant will provide the brave men and women of the Secaucus Fire Department with a state-of-the-art firefighting marine vessel to continue protecting our community’s coastlines and bridges,” said Rep. Pascrell. “These funds will go a long way in increasing firefighting capabilities in one of our nation’s largest transportation hubs. As co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, I will continue to fight for federal support of our community’s firefighters and first responders.”

“I want to thank Congressman Pascrell for fighting on behalf of firefighters in Washington,” said Secaucus Mayor Michael J. Gonnelli. “This grant money is extremely important to our work in Secaucus. With this money, we will obtain a new firefighting boat to continue protecting our coasts. All the credit to the congressman for making this possible.”

As a major transportation hub, Secaucus serves as first responder to fifteen bridges along the Passaic River and fourteen bridges along the Hackensack River, including the 104-year old Portal Bridge. Secaucus’ new fire rescue boat will be outfitted with modern fire detection equipment to provide rapid emergency response along its coasts while meeting today’s firefighting vehicle safety standards.

Last month, Rep. Pascrell celebrated the signing into law of his Firefighter Cancer Registry Act (H.R. 931), which creates a national cancer registry for firefighters diagnosed with the deadly disease. Rep. Pascrell and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) first announced introduction of the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act in May 2016 during a news conference at Clifton Fire Station 5, where they were joined by dozens of firefighters, including retired Haddon Heights Fire Chief Gene Dannenfelster, who since lost his battle with cancer. H.R.931 was introduced in the 115th Congress on February 17, 2017.