U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, announced today that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded a $16,152.58 CARES Act grant to the Englewood Fire Department. Rep. Pascrell has been in contact with DHS advocating for Englewood to receive this award. Funding for the award was provided through the CARES Act Assistance to Firefighters – COVID-19 Supplemental (AFG-S) grant program, which Rep. Pascrell advocated for as the CARES Act was crafted. Englewood FD will use today’s grant to purchase life-saving personal protective equipment, such as masks, shields, and gloves, to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Annual funding for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program is provided by Rep. Pascrell’s Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) Act, which was signed into law in 2000 by President Bill Clinton. Administered by DHS’ Federal Emergency Management Agency, the AFG program provides direct support to eligible fire departments to help them meet the demanding and ever-evolving nature of their work.

“North Jersey’s firefighters work each day to keep our communities safe.  Now more than ever, they need our support and I am proud that we were able to secure this needed federal grant for Englewood’s Bravest today,” said Rep. Pascrell, a longtime champion of robust federal support for America’s fire services. “In the House, we passed the CARES Act to provide immediate help to American families and to bolster the vital public services we rely upon. That bill included $100 million in federal funding for our nation’s fire departments through the AFG program I helped create. Since then, we have passed the HEROES Act to provide even more resources for first responders and communities because of the economic fallout from this crisis. While that crucial bill remains held up in the Senate, I will continue to work with federal agencies to ensure North Jersey’s firefighters have every dollar they need to weather this crisis. Our firefighters in Englewood are heroes and we must have their backs.”

“We are immensely grateful to Congressman Pascrell for delivering this grant to Englewood,” said Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes. “We are fortunate to have a Congressman who always works to bring money home for our community, especially in these difficult and historic times. Kudos and thank you to Congressman Pascrell and his staff.”

Through his FIRE Act, Rep. Pascrell helps procure millions in federal support for New Jersey firefighters each year. The CARES Act provided $100 million in funding for the AFG program to help fire departments purchase personal protective equipment and supplies.

In the last few weeks alone, Rep. Pascrell has announced more than $200K in federal grants for North Jersey fire departments. He has worked since the outset of the pandemic to secure millions in emergency federal funding to aid New Jersey in its fight against the virus. He also helped pass the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act to provide more immediate relief to every state and local government across the United States and needed relief for vital workers like first responders, health workers, and teachers keeping us safe during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.