Travelers Rest Fire Department awarded $124K FEMA grant

TRAVELERS REST, S.C. — The Travelers Rest Fire Dept. has been awarded $124,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, it was announced Tuesday by city officials.

The department received an Assistance to Firefighters Grant, part of a program to help provide funds for equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources to better protect the public and emergency personnel across the nation.

The grant was written by Capt. Lee Perkins, and the money will be used to replace 20 of the department's self-contained breathing apparatus.

Worn by firefighters to provide breathable air in dangerous situations, the SCBAs, or air packs, have a maximum 15-year shelf life and were due for replacement at the Travelers Rest department.

"[The grant award] came at a good time," Chief Johnson said. "Hopefully, this will eliminate some of the pressure on city council as they look to provide for the department's operating budget in the upcoming fiscal year."

FEMA is an agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (To see the complete list of this fiscal year's award recipients, click here.)

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