Lucas announced the funding, which is being administered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, would be awarded to the fire department through a program that allows departments to apply for eligible activities in one of four different fire protection programs. 
        
"When an unexpected blaze threatens lives and property, the volunteer firefighters at the Alden Fire Department need to be able to respond quickly," Lucas said. "The fire departments in western Oklahoma are struggling to protect local residents with a mostly volunteer workforce and shrinking city budgets.  They need all the help the federal government can give them." 

The funds will be used for the department's fire operations and fire safety, including training, firefighting equipment, and firefighter protective equipment.

"These funds will help protect both the firefighters who respond when called to duty, and the local residents they are called to protect," Lucas said.  

The Alden Fire Department, located eight miles south of Carnegie, was among 655 departments that will receive grants in the sixth round of awards under FEMA's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.  These departments will share a total of more than $34 million.  Only 22 Oklahoma fire departments received grants in this round of awards.  The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is administered by the U.S. Fire Administration, a part of FEMA.

Last year, Congressman Lucas voted for the Fiscal Year 2002 Defense Authorization Bill, which authorized the grants to be made directly to local fire departments.  Volunteer and combination departments must receive a proportion of the total grant funding that is at least equal to the proportion of the population those firefighting departments protect.  According to the National Fire Protection Association, volunteer and combination departments protect 55 percent of the population. 

Earlier this year a panel of over 300 fire service personnel evaluated approximately 19,500 applications from across the United States.  The Alden Volunteer Fire Department successfully completed this peer review process.  FEMA will distribute $360 million through approximately 5,500 grants before the end of this year.