$1.3 Million in Federal Grants to Help Carroll County Firefighters

Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-MD, announced Thursday that firefighters in Carroll County will receive two grants totaling more than $1.3 million from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

One grant of $985,680 will go to the New Windsor Fire & Hose Company No. 1, which will help the company buy emergency response equipment, personal and protective equipment, firefighting and emergency vehicles and training, according to a news release from Van Hollen’s office.

Carroll County Volunteer Emergency Services Association Inc. is also receiving a grant of $368,120 to help support the hiring of firefighters, as well as the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters, Van Hollen’s office said.

Almost three-fourths of the nation's 1.1 million firefighters are volunteers, and two-thirds of all fire departments are volunteer, according to USA Today.

"The biggest challenge is that it’s a dangerous job and you’re doing it for free," Josh Evans, a volunteer firefighter at the Westminster Fire Company and a career firefighter in Baltimore City, told Patch in October.

"It can be a burden on family—having to get up from the dinner table to go on a call, plus there's the physical wear and tear on the body," Evans said.

See related links:
The Vanishing Volunteer Firefighter: What it Means for Carroll County

Westminster Firefighters Breathe a Little Easier with New Equipment

Two Westminster Firefighters Recognized for Fifty Years of Service

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