WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Congresswomen Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Elizabeth Esty (D-Conn.) announced today that $203,089 in federal grant money is coming to the Orange Volunteer Fire Association and the Waterbury Fire Department. Orange will be receiving $111,626 and Waterbury $91,464 in Assistance to Firefighter Grant Operations & Safety awards.

Operations & Safety grants can be used in five areas: training, equipment, personal protective equipment, wellness and fitness, and modification to facilities. The grants are the 27th and 28th firefighting grants awarded to Connecticut for Fiscal Year 2013.

Murphy said: “Few things are more important than supporting our firefighters and first responders who put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe. This grant will provide critical support to help Waterbury's and Orange's firefighters do their jobs more effectively and keep them safe as well. I’ll continue to fight for these heroes as they fight for us.”

“Ensuring first responders have updated and necessary equipment, and proper training, is crucial to protecting not only the public, but the brave men and women who serve our communities,” DeLauro said. “The equipment purchased with these grants , and the training they will enable, will better prepare the first responders of Waterbury and Orange for the dangerous and lifesaving work they so ably do.”

Blumenthal said: “These federal funds will support and advance the lifesaving work of firefighters in Waterbury and Orange who put their lives on the line every day to protect their communities. Assistance to Firefighter Grant awards have helped provide modern safety equipment, advanced training and enabled vital outreach efforts across Connecticut and I will continue to advocate on behalf of all our towns and departments to ensure our brave first responders have what they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.”

“I’m proud to help announce that the Waterbury Fire Department has received over $91,000 from FEMA as part of their Assistance to Firefighter Grants (AFG) grant. This funding will go a long way in ensuring that our first responders have the resources and equipment they need to keep our communities safe,” said Esty.