$200K Grant from FEMA Puts Brookfield Firefighter, Department on a Winning Streak

Brookfield fireman and paramedic Bob Tiarks has taken extensive training from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), but it's not what you might think.

Fire Chief Charlie Myers said Tiarks took the opportunity to learn more from FEMA on how to ask for funding through their Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, and it's apparent he's paid attention.

Since attending a number of seminars offered by the agency, Tiarks has "honed his writing skills" to more effectively request money to garner the department approximately $445,000 over the past 3 years. The dollars have paid for defibrillators ($89,100), self-contained breathing apparatus ($156,600) and now digital radios ($199,242).

However, Myers was quick to add that the most recent award was the collaboration of everyone on staff.

"There is a priority list of things that FEMA identifies every year, and while communication needs was on the list this year, it's not enough to say 'we need radios,'" Myers explained. "Bob has had to involve many people in the department to illustrate the need by including current data." He added that even those outside the department and the city review the requests to offer suggestions to help craft the request.

In addition, Myers said, FEMA needs to be shown that the request reflects "current mission." In other words, as there does not exist a dive/rescue team in Brookfield, requests made to provide equipment related to that would not be considered a priority. However, as Waukesha County dispatch is upgrading its communications systems to digital, the radios owned by the department will soon be obsolete, vaulting Brookfield's need to imminent.

As part of the agreement in the grant, the city must provide 10 percent of the funds, or $22,138, which were approved Tuesday night at Common Council. Myers said that the funds will garner 47 to 50 800 MHz radios for the department.