WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Candice Miller (MI-10), a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, today announced that Washington Township Fire Department will receive a $1.5 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security. The award is part of DHS’s Fire Station Construction Grant Program and is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The program is awarding $166 million nation wide for fire departments to rebuild their facilities, modify existing fire stations, and to protect communities from fire hazards. Miller, who wrote a letter to DHS in support of Washington Township’s grant application, praised the award and said that the fire department deserves the funding.
“I am so pleased that Washington Township Fire Department has won this substantial grant,” said Miller. “The hard working men and women of this fire department put their lives on the line for our safety, and in this difficult economic climate they need all the help they can get to do their jobs.”
Washington Township Supervisor Dan O’Leary welcomed the news of the grant, and said that the money will be used to build a new fire station. The current station is outdated, unsafe, and too small, according to O’Leary. When there is a fire, he said, firefighters have to change into gear inches away from moving fire trucks due to the lack of space. The current fire station is also not accessible by main roads, because it was built so long ago, and the new station will be located closer to where it is most needed. O’Leary said he feels fortunate that Washington Township was chosen in light of all of the applications received by DHS.
"We are pleased that the Department of Homeland Security recognized the merits of this project for Washington Township and are very thankful for their assistance. We were one of only 104 towns to receive a station construction grant out of over 6,000 who applied,” said O’Leary. “Our project had been strongly endorsed by our Congresswoman Candice Miller and her team. We are grateful for their efforts in helping secure this grant. We accomplished this because we had great teamwork between the local, County and Federal levels to ensure that the project received the attention it deserved. We look forward to improving the safety and security of our community thanks to the efforts of Congresswoman Miller."
