Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) announced Wednesday that the Burnout Volunteer Fire Department has been awarded

Congressman Robert Aderholt talks with John Bostick and Mike Shewbert during a campaign stop in Red Bay. | Nathan Strickland/FCT

$653,040 in federal grants as part of the 17th round of the Fiscal Year 2009 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.

The program awards one-year grant money directly to fire departments and EMS organizations to support them and the services they deliver.

“All of our local fire departments do a tremendous job protecting our communities with limited resources,” Aderholt said. “I’m committed to doing everything within my power to see that they receive additional funding so that they can do their job efficiently and safely. I’m pleased to be able to support the Burnout Fire Department and the important work they’re doing.”

Since 2001, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program has provided approximately $4 billion in grants to first-responder organizations to obtain much-needed emergency response equipment, personal protective equipment, firefighting and emergency vehicles, and training.

Burnout Volunteer Fire Department secretary and treasurer Roy Gober said the money will more than likely go towards updating communication equipment for all 14 fire departments in Franklin County instead of just keeping it at BVFD.

“We applied for the grant in May of last year and wasn’t positive that we were going to get what we asked for,” he said. “It is tough to get funds when you are a volunteer fire department so we really appreciate all the things Congressman Aderholt has done for us over the years and this money will help all of the fire departments in the county to meet new communication requirements that are very likely to come up in the future.”

Gober said the money would be bidded out to departments who need it the most first, then distributed accordingly.

“Some of the possible requirements all fire departments will have to meet in the future include narrow band and digital capabilities,” he said. “I believe the money should and will be used to go ahead and update all communication equipment such as handheld radios, beepers, pagers, etc. before those requirements are enforced so we won’t run into any problems later on. It is honestly just a matter of time before we face those requirements.”

The Operations and Safety Program can be used for training, equipment, personal protective equipment, wellness and fitness, and modifications to fire stations and facilities.