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Hanover Fire Department Awarded Regional Assistance to Firefighters Grant 7/18/24

Posted on: July 18, 2024 - 12:57pm

The Hanover Fire Department is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a Regional Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) in the amount of $189,818. The total approved project is $208,800, which includes a 10% local funding match. This grant will fund the delivery of the IAFF Fire Ground Survival Program for the Hanover, Hanson, and Pembroke Fire Departments.

There is no other call more challenging to fire ground operations than a MAYDAY call – the unthinkable moment when a firefighter’s personal safety is in imminent danger. The purpose of the IAFF Fire Ground Survival Program is to ensure that training for MAYDAY prevention and MAYDAY operations is consistent among all firefighters, company officers, and chief officers. Firefighters must be trained to perform potentially life-saving actions if they become lost, disorientated, injured, low on air, or trapped.

Becoming the “gold-standard” training program across the nation and in our area, the IAFF Fire Ground Survival Program is the most comprehensive survival skills and MAYDAY prevention program currently available within the fire service. Incorporating federal regulations, proven incident management best practices and survival techniques from leaders in the field, and real case studies from experienced firefighters, the Fire Ground Survival Program aims to educate all firefighters to be prepared if the unfortunate happens.

Grant funds will provide this critical training to 60 firefighters. There are obvious benefits of this training to individual firefighters. The increased need and use of mutual aid to mitigate fire incidents makes a regional approach to this training delivery a no brainer. Having a standardized approach to MAYDAY operations and prevention greatly enhances the safety of firefighters from these three contiguous communities who work together regularly at structure fires.

Thank you to Hanover Firefighter/Paramedic Tom Duggan for his work researching, writing, and submitting this grant.