Concord Fire Department Receives $948,266 Grant to Enhance EMS Service

CONCORD — Chief Thomas Judge is pleased to share that the Concord Fire Department received a $948,266 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) courtesy of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). 

On July 12, FEMA awarded $324 million in Assistance to Firefighters Grants to municipalities nationwide to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters against fire-related deaths and hazards. The primary goal of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant is to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and non-affiliated emergency medical service organizations.

According to FEMA, 2,300 people died in home fires in the United States in 2023, including 85 firefighters. Through the AFG grants, recipients will be able to fund critically needed resources to better equip and train emergency response personnel, enhance operational efficiencies, foster communications interoperability between emergency responders and support community risk reduction and resilience.

The Concord Fire Department will use the funding to cover the costs of a paramedic program, including employee salary, tuition, and educational materials to train existing staff. Currently, Concord Fire provides ambulance service at the Basic Life Support (BLS) level. This grant will allow the department to increase the service model to the Advanced Life Support (ALS) level, which will reduce the response time to have a paramedic at the patient’s side and increase ALS availability, resulting in better outcomes.

The Concord Fire Department has received past AFG grants, $93,348 in 2022 and $286,666 in 2021.

“This grant allows us to enhance our ability to protect our community by providing a higher level of EMS service,” said Chief Judge. “We are extremely grateful to have this funding to strengthen the efficiency of our Department. We are excited to begin our next steps.”