Governor McAuliffe announced that the Virginia Department of Fire Programs has successfully obtained funding in the amount of $267,022 through the Department of Homeland Security’s fiscal year 2015 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. The funding will be used to purchase replacement Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), commonly referred to as “turnout gear,” for instructors.
“We have an obligation to our first responders to provide them with the most current equipment possible to perform their jobs in service to the citizens of the Commonwealth,” said Governor McAuliffe. “I had the opportunity during a training simulation late last year to experience firsthand what it is like to be inside a structure during a live burn. Being equipped with the most current Personal Protective Equipment available is critical to our fire services personnel.”
VDFP purchased the current PPE more than 12 years ago. The department serves as a fire/rescue training delivery and certification agency in collaboration with academic fire programs. With the rigorous training schedule the department is required to maintain throughout the year, the equipment experiences extreme wear and tear.
The overall project cost to replace 100 sets of turnout gear is $307,075. The replacement project will take 12 months to complete and is part of an overall three-year plan to fully replace 314 sets of turnout gear.
“Our goal over the next three years is to provide our entire instructor cadre with the most current edition of the National Fire Protection Association standard PPE,” said VDFP Executive Director Melvin Carter. “The federal funding that we were able to obtain via the FY 2015 AFG Program is a welcome start.”
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