LANSING, Mich. — A dozen fire departments and townships across the Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan are getting more than $2.1 million in federal money for breathing gear, trucks, hoses and training.
Slotkin and Peters, who represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate, shared the news Thursday. The dollars flow through two FEMA programs, the Assistance to Firefighters Grants, known as AFG, and the SAFER staffing grants.
The city of Stephenson lands $761,904, the largest single award, and will use it to outfit seven volunteer departments across Menominee and Delta counties with air packs firefighters wear inside burning buildings. Dafter Township in Chippewa County will get $490,780 across two awards to replace a tanker truck that was taken out of service after outliving its useful life and to buy new hoses and nozzles.
Dafter’s fire chief said in the senators’ announcement that the township’s only tanker is a former military truck that is four decades old. Because there are no hydrants anywhere in the township, that truck hauls the water to every fire, including mutual-aid calls in neighboring towns.
Other awards include $285,714 to the village of Lake Linden for a vehicle, $212,571 to Manistique, $122,457 to Mentor Township, $110,476 to Drummond Island Township and $95,238 to Bay Mills Township, mostly for safety equipment. Gerrish Township will receive $27,720, and Whitewater Township’s department gets $28,571 to buy turnout gear and pay for training. Cheboygan will get $20,990 for a compact firefighting unit that can reach wildfires and other blazes where full-size trucks cannot go.
Peters said firefighters need the right tools to do dangerous work safely, and Slotkin said the bipartisan funding will cover staffing, safety training and equipment.
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