WASHINGTON D.C. (MyKeeneNow) – Keene, Spofford and Surry are among communities across New Hampshire receiving federal funding to support local firefighters and first responders.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded more than $3.6 million in Assistance to Firefighters Grants to fire departments and municipalities throughout the state. The funding can be used for equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources needed to help firefighters respond safely to emergencies.

Locally, the City of Keene is receiving $198,181.81 through the program. The funding will be used to purchase power cots and power lift systems, according to the announcement.

The Spofford Fire District is receiving $72,380.95 for firefighter breathing apparatus, while the Town of Surry is receiving $32,761.90 for a personal protective equipment washer and dryer.

The grants are part of FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, which provides funding to help fire departments and other eligible organizations obtain resources needed to protect emergency personnel and the communities they serve.

The New Hampshire congressional delegation announced the grants Friday. U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, along with Representatives Chris Pappas and Maggie Goodlander, highlighted the funding as support for firefighters across the state.

Goodlander pointed to several examples of how the funding will be used in communities around the state, including new breathing equipment in Littleton, Goshen, Spofford and Hebron and a new tanker in Hancock.

“New Hampshire’s firefighters and first responders are being asked to do more and more with less and less year after year,” Goodlander said. “But when the alarm sounds, they show up for us. We have a duty to show up for them.”

Shaheen and Hassan also emphasized the importance of providing local fire departments with the equipment and resources they need to respond to emergencies.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant program supports a range of needs, including firefighting and emergency response equipment, protective clothing, training and other resources intended to improve firefighter safety and emergency response capabilities.

Shaheen, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has also worked on federal funding and policies affecting firefighters, including efforts related to firefighter exposure to PFAS from protective gear and funding for the AFG and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response programs.