Weekly column by Senator Susan Collins
Every year, a group of Mainers living and working in our nation’s capital get together for breakfast with the members of the Maine congressional delegation to catch up on the news and to discuss the state we all are proud to call home. I recently enjoyed an opportunity to speak to this group, called the Maine State Society.
Fifty-five states and U.S. territories have societies in the Washington area. Founded in 1894, Maine’s is one of the oldest and most active. The society describes itself as a “home away from home” for Mainers who live and work around Washington, D.C., and members frequently get together for events, volunteer for community service projects, and gather each summer for the Society’s annual Maine lobster dinner – a tradition that dates back to 1945. One of the most well-known members of the Society is former Maine Governor John Reed.
The handprints of Mainers are all over this nation’s history; they are evident even in the architecture of Washington, D.C. Who can stand in the Lincoln Memorial, read the Gettysburg Address and not think of Joshua Chamberlain and the 20th Maine at Little Round Top? Who can walk The Mall, that great battlefield of the Civil Rights movement nearly a half century ago, and not think of Hannibal Hamlin who, as a Senator more than century earlier, jeopardized a brilliant political career by breaking with his party over slavery?
There is never a day that I go to the Capitol without being aware of the giants who preceded me. Thomas Reed, Margaret Chase Smith, and Edmund Muskie are but a few of the Mainers whose principles were large enough to fill that enormous building.
Usually, when I speak with a group of Mainers, my task is to provide an update on what’s going on in Washington. With a group of Mainers who know Washington, I chose instead to offer an update on what’s going on in Maine.
I began by advising them about what they won’t see on their next trip home – the heaviest trucks needlessly clogging our downtowns and secondary roads. Last December, after years of hard work, I finally was able to convince my colleagues in Congress to approve a one-year pilot project to allow these trucks to use the interstate highways in Maine. This has always been one of my top priorities.
I am confident that this pilot project will show positive results in reducing heavy truck traffic through our downtowns and residential areas, saving fuel, and decreasing emissions. Most important, it should greatly improve safety for motorists and pedestrians. This pilot project received strong support from public safety and law enforcement agencies throughout Maine.
Another notable development back home isn’t as immediately noticeable, but it will eventually make a great difference – the leadership role Maine is taking in securing America’s energy future. Meeting the challenge of developing energy alternatives will provide great opportunities for Maine to build an economy for the future, with new industries and thousands of good jobs.
This endeavor received a significant boost last October when the U.S. Department of Energy announced an $8 million grant for offshore wind research at the University of Maine, and Congress approved $5 million for the Maine Offshore Wind Initiative at UMaine that I advanced. This January, the Department of Commerce announced a $12.4 million laboratory construction grant for the University of Maine. That brings the total federal funding that I have helped secure to $25 million to support deepwater wind power off Maine’s coast.
I strongly advocated for these projects because Maine has great potential as an ideal location for offshore wind projects and has the potential to take the lead in the development of clean, renewable, and affordable energy for America. Estimates are that development of five gigawatts of off-shore wind in Maine – enough to power more than 1 million homes for a year -- could attract $20 billion of investment to our state and create more than 15,000 green energy jobs that would be sustained over 30 years
I concluded by noting one very important way the Society remains connected to our state. For the past 18 years, the Worcester Wreath Company in the Washington County town of Harrington has donated thousands of wreaths to decorate the graves at military cemeteries throughout America. Maine State Society members are always among the most devoted volunteers at Arlington National Cemetery laying wreaths in tribute to our fallen heroes.
The Society’s annual Congressional Breakfast is a wonderful tradition in which we can all come together to celebrate our Maine roots. I have enjoyed attending each year since I first came to the Senate, along with several members of my Washington staff who also hail from Maine. While there’s no place like home, it is always wonderful to be in the good company of fellow Mainers.
Friday, February 5, 2010
SENATOR COLLINS ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $400,000 FOR SEVEN MAINE FIRE DEPARTMENTS
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, today announced that the Department of Homeland Security has awarded $409,688 in grant funding to seven Maine fire departments. The funding is provided through the "Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program," or FIRE Act.
“Our career and volunteer firefighters are among our bravest public servants. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is an extremely critical source of funds for our fire and rescue personnel,” said Senator Collins. “Since the creation of this program, Maine fire departments have been awarded more than $50 million to help purchase new, used, or refurbished vehicles, and to obtain equipment for firefighting, interoperable communications, chemical detection, and other purposes that are essential to first responders.”
Funding will be distributed to the following Maine fire departments through the Operations and Firefighting Safety Program, which consists of training, equipment, wellness and fitness, and modifications to the departments’ facilities.
* Allagash Volunteer Fire Department--- $39,900
* Bristol Fire and Rescue---$116,931
* Chebeague Island Fire Department---$6,818
* Milford Fire-Rescue Department---$38,380
* Norridgewock Fire Department---$20,650
* Oakland Fire Department---$40,616
* Winthrop Fire Department---$27,643
Additionally, the following fire department is being awarded funding through the Vehicle Acquisition Program, which helps local departments purchase equipment such as pumpers, brush trucks, tankers/tenders, rescue vehicles, ambulances, aerials, foam units and fire boats.
* Milford Fire-Rescue Department---$118,750
Senator Collins strongly supported the creation of the FIRE Act Grant program. These grants are awarded to fire departments across the United States to increase the effectiveness of firefighting operations, firefighter health and safety programs, emergency medical service programs, and Fire Prevention and Safety programs, and to purchase new fire equipment.
###
“Our career and volunteer firefighters are among our bravest public servants. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is an extremely critical source of funds for our fire and rescue personnel,” said Senator Collins. “Since the creation of this program, Maine fire departments have been awarded more than $50 million to help purchase new, used, or refurbished vehicles, and to obtain equipment for firefighting, interoperable communications, chemical detection, and other purposes that are essential to first responders.”
Funding will be distributed to the following Maine fire departments through the Operations and Firefighting Safety Program, which consists of training, equipment, wellness and fitness, and modifications to the departments’ facilities.
* Allagash Volunteer Fire Department--- $39,900
* Bristol Fire and Rescue---$116,931
* Chebeague Island Fire Department---$6,818
* Milford Fire-Rescue Department---$38,380
* Norridgewock Fire Department---$20,650
* Oakland Fire Department---$40,616
* Winthrop Fire Department---$27,643
Additionally, the following fire department is being awarded funding through the Vehicle Acquisition Program, which helps local departments purchase equipment such as pumpers, brush trucks, tankers/tenders, rescue vehicles, ambulances, aerials, foam units and fire boats.
* Milford Fire-Rescue Department---$118,750
Senator Collins strongly supported the creation of the FIRE Act Grant program. These grants are awarded to fire departments across the United States to increase the effectiveness of firefighting operations, firefighter health and safety programs, emergency medical service programs, and Fire Prevention and Safety programs, and to purchase new fire equipment.
###
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Senator Collins- World Economic Forum in Davos
Senator Collins is blogging from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland
This year was the first time I was invited to the annual World Economic Forum in Davos. I am speaking as a panelist during three different sessions and have just finished the first one, "Securing Cyberspace." It was interesting being the one political leader on a panel of technical experts, including Craig Mundie, Microsoft's chief research and strategy officer, Paul Sagan, who runs Akamai Technologies, an MIT spin-off, Hamadoun Toure, the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union in Geneva, and Andre Kydelski, the CEO of a Swiss computer security firm. The panel was moderated by Jonathan Zittrain, a Harvard Law professor whose expertise is cybersecurity.
We discussed issues ranging from the problem of determining who is really behind a computer attack (the "attribution" problem) to whether an attack on a nation's electric grid would constitute an act of war. We discussed possible legislative and international responses to strengthen cybersecurity.
Microsoft's Craig Mundie emphasized personal responsibility and said that 20 percent of PCs have no security, which allows them to be hijacked and used in attacks on other computers. He advocated that people be "licensed" to operate computers just as we are licensed to drive cars.
The two European panelists advocated greater international cooperation building on the European Convention on CyberCrime.
In the audience was a former U.S. Director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte, who asked me about the possibility of the Senate passing an international treaty on cybersecurity, if one were to be drafted, or absent that, a cybersecurity bill for the U.S. Our Homeland Security Committee is working on such legislation, but there are many obstacles to overcome.
This year was the first time I was invited to the annual World Economic Forum in Davos. I am speaking as a panelist during three different sessions and have just finished the first one, "Securing Cyberspace." It was interesting being the one political leader on a panel of technical experts, including Craig Mundie, Microsoft's chief research and strategy officer, Paul Sagan, who runs Akamai Technologies, an MIT spin-off, Hamadoun Toure, the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union in Geneva, and Andre Kydelski, the CEO of a Swiss computer security firm. The panel was moderated by Jonathan Zittrain, a Harvard Law professor whose expertise is cybersecurity.We discussed issues ranging from the problem of determining who is really behind a computer attack (the "attribution" problem) to whether an attack on a nation's electric grid would constitute an act of war. We discussed possible legislative and international responses to strengthen cybersecurity.
Microsoft's Craig Mundie emphasized personal responsibility and said that 20 percent of PCs have no security, which allows them to be hijacked and used in attacks on other computers. He advocated that people be "licensed" to operate computers just as we are licensed to drive cars.
The two European panelists advocated greater international cooperation building on the European Convention on CyberCrime.
In the audience was a former U.S. Director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte, who asked me about the possibility of the Senate passing an international treaty on cybersecurity, if one were to be drafted, or absent that, a cybersecurity bill for the U.S. Our Homeland Security Committee is working on such legislation, but there are many obstacles to overcome.
Senator Collins delivers weekly Republican address
Full transcript of Senator Collins' address:
“Less than one hour. That’s right, less than one hour.
“In fact, just fifty minutes.
“That’s the amount of time that the FBI spent questioning Abdulmutallab, the foreign terrorist who tried to blow up a plane on Christmas Day.
“Then, he was given a Miranda warning and a lawyer, and, not surprisingly, he stopped talking.
“How did we get to this point? How did the Obama administration decide to treat a foreign terrorist, who had tried to murder hundreds of people, as if he were a common criminal?
“On Christmas Day, the skies above Detroit became a battleground in the War on Terrorism.
“That day the bomb being carried by Abdulmutallab failed to detonate. Thanks to the courageous action of the passengers and crew, nearly 300 lives were saved on the plane and more lives were spared on the ground.
“The government’s security system, a front line in the war against terrorists, failed long before Abdulmutallab boarded his flight to the United States.
“It failed when his visa wasn’t revoked, even though his father had warned our embassy in Nigeria about his son’s ties to Islamic extremists.
“It failed when the intelligence community was unable to connect the dots that would have placed Abdulmutallab on the terrorist watchlist.
“It failed when this terrorist stepped on to the plane in Amsterdam with the same explosive used by the ‘Shoe Bomber,’ Richard Reid, more than 8 years ago.
“But, today, I want to discuss another failure – a failure that occurred after Abdulmutallab had already been detained by authorities in Detroit – an error that undoubtedly prevented the collection of valuable intelligence about future terrorist threats to our country.
“This failure occurred when the Obama Justice Department unilaterally decided to treat this foreign terrorist as an ordinary criminal.
Abdulmutallab was questioned for less than one hour before the Justice Department advised him that he could remain silent and offered him an attorney at our expense.
“Once afforded the protection our Constitution guarantees American citizens, this foreign terrorist ‘lawyered up’ and stopped talking.
“When the Obama administration decided to treat Abdulmutallab as an ordinary criminal, it did so without the input of our nation’s top intelligence officials.
“The Director of National Intelligence was not consulted.
“The Secretary of Defense was not consulted.
“The Secretary of Homeland Security was not consulted.
“The Director of the National Counterterrorism Center was not consulted.
“They would have explained the importance of gathering all possible intelligence about Yemen, where there is a serious threat from terrorists whose sights are trained on this nation. They would have explained the critical nature of learning all we could from Abdulmutallab. But they were never asked.
“President Obama recently used the phrase that ‘we are at war’ with terrorists. But unfortunately his rhetoric does not match the actions of his administration.
“The Obama administration appears to have a blind spot when it comes to the War on Terrorism.
“And, because of that blindness, this administration cannot see a foreign terrorist even when he stands right in front of them, fresh from an attempt to blow a plane out of the sky on Christmas Day.
“There’s no other way to explain the irresponsible, indeed dangerous, decision on Abdulmutallab’s interrogation. There’s no other way to explain the inconceivable treatment of him as if he were a common criminal.
“This charade must stop. Foreign terrorists are enemy combatants and they must be treated as such. The safety of the American people depends on it.
“I’m Senator Susan Collins from Maine. Thank you for listening.”
Friday, January 29, 2010
Responding to the Crisis in Haiti
Weekly column by Senator Susan Collins
The devastation in Haiti is of unconceivable magnitude. The images and news reports are unbearable to watch, and the distress, suffering, and loss of the people of that devastated island are heartbreaking.
America is responding to this grave humanitarian crisis it always does – with everything it has and in every way it can. Our valiant military personnel are on the scene, saving lives and bringing relief. Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals are pouring into the country with their skills, compassion, and dedication. Throughout our nation and across our state, collection baskets, benefit events, and telethons are overflowing with the generosity of our people, even in these difficult economic times here at home.
I have dedicated resources of my offices to aid in this effort. My staff-- here in Maine and in Washington—is working closely with constituents who have family and loved ones in Haiti. They are in constant contact with State Department officials and international relief organizations to locate the missing and to expedite their evacuation to the United States.
Here are just a few examples. A Maine couple had been in the process of adopting two Haitian boys, ages six and two. Working with the State Department, we were able to determine that the boys are safe and being cared for in an orphanage outside of Port-au-Prince, and that they are awaiting military transport to the U.S. Currently, we are working with two other families, in Winthrop and Pittsfield, to accelerate travel for Haitian children they are in the process of adopting.
We are working to bring about the return of an 11-month-old girl, who had been living with extended family in Haiti, to her parents in York County. After being contacted by her sister in Saco and by working through the U.S. Embassy, we were able to assist a 72-year-old nun in evacuating Haiti. We also have helped a family in Wayne locate their son who was in Haiti with a small group from his college, and assisted a Rockport woman in providing her brother, a priest, with information on evacuating his mission group to the Dominican Republic. And we assisted in locating a young woman from Eddington who had been visiting friends in Haiti and in providing information on how to return home.
In addition, I have joined a bipartisan group of member of Congress urging President Obama to require that federal agencies provide for the safe and swift evacuation of orphaned children in Haiti. It is essential that federal agencies work with the greatest possible speed to bring the estimated 600 to 700 orphans who have been granted humanitarian parole to their waiting adoptive U.S. families.
On Jan. 18, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it would extend humanitarian parole to those Haitian orphans with established adoptive relationships with U.S. families so that these orphans could travel immediately to the United States. In the days following the announcement, however, federal agencies failed to put forth a coordinated logistical plan to assure these orphans’ immediate safety, efficient immigration processing and exit to the U.S. Without such a plan, desperate American citizens will put themselves or the children they are seeking to adopt at risk in attempting evacuations on their own.
This delay is a direct result of a lack of inter-agency coordination and communication to the public, and of ad-hoc processing of travel documents by the U.S. Embassy. With the most innocent and helpless of lives at stake, this is no time for bureaucratic delay. I will continue to push for better cooperation and more rapid processing of essential documents.
A powerful earthquake has left the people of Haiti with an awful burden of loss, despair and ruin. Working together, with all of us doing what we can and as much as we can, we will at least help ensure our Haitian neighbors that it is a burden they do not bear alone.
The devastation in Haiti is of unconceivable magnitude. The images and news reports are unbearable to watch, and the distress, suffering, and loss of the people of that devastated island are heartbreaking.
America is responding to this grave humanitarian crisis it always does – with everything it has and in every way it can. Our valiant military personnel are on the scene, saving lives and bringing relief. Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals are pouring into the country with their skills, compassion, and dedication. Throughout our nation and across our state, collection baskets, benefit events, and telethons are overflowing with the generosity of our people, even in these difficult economic times here at home.
I have dedicated resources of my offices to aid in this effort. My staff-- here in Maine and in Washington—is working closely with constituents who have family and loved ones in Haiti. They are in constant contact with State Department officials and international relief organizations to locate the missing and to expedite their evacuation to the United States.
Here are just a few examples. A Maine couple had been in the process of adopting two Haitian boys, ages six and two. Working with the State Department, we were able to determine that the boys are safe and being cared for in an orphanage outside of Port-au-Prince, and that they are awaiting military transport to the U.S. Currently, we are working with two other families, in Winthrop and Pittsfield, to accelerate travel for Haitian children they are in the process of adopting.
We are working to bring about the return of an 11-month-old girl, who had been living with extended family in Haiti, to her parents in York County. After being contacted by her sister in Saco and by working through the U.S. Embassy, we were able to assist a 72-year-old nun in evacuating Haiti. We also have helped a family in Wayne locate their son who was in Haiti with a small group from his college, and assisted a Rockport woman in providing her brother, a priest, with information on evacuating his mission group to the Dominican Republic. And we assisted in locating a young woman from Eddington who had been visiting friends in Haiti and in providing information on how to return home.
In addition, I have joined a bipartisan group of member of Congress urging President Obama to require that federal agencies provide for the safe and swift evacuation of orphaned children in Haiti. It is essential that federal agencies work with the greatest possible speed to bring the estimated 600 to 700 orphans who have been granted humanitarian parole to their waiting adoptive U.S. families.
On Jan. 18, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it would extend humanitarian parole to those Haitian orphans with established adoptive relationships with U.S. families so that these orphans could travel immediately to the United States. In the days following the announcement, however, federal agencies failed to put forth a coordinated logistical plan to assure these orphans’ immediate safety, efficient immigration processing and exit to the U.S. Without such a plan, desperate American citizens will put themselves or the children they are seeking to adopt at risk in attempting evacuations on their own.
This delay is a direct result of a lack of inter-agency coordination and communication to the public, and of ad-hoc processing of travel documents by the U.S. Embassy. With the most innocent and helpless of lives at stake, this is no time for bureaucratic delay. I will continue to push for better cooperation and more rapid processing of essential documents.
A powerful earthquake has left the people of Haiti with an awful burden of loss, despair and ruin. Working together, with all of us doing what we can and as much as we can, we will at least help ensure our Haitian neighbors that it is a burden they do not bear alone.
SENATORS SNOWE, COLLINS ANNOUNCE $35 MILLION TO EXTEND DOWNEASTER RAIL SERVICE TO BRUNSWICK
Recovery Act funding will be used to upgrade 30 miles of track between Portland and Brunswick
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) $35 million in High-Speed Rail Grants to be used to rehabilitate 30 miles of track to extend Amtrak’s Downeaster rail service from Portland to Brunswick.
“This is welcome news to Mainers and visitors alike,” said Senators Snowe and Collins in a joint statement. “Since its inception, the Downeaster service has enjoyed steady ridership increases, providing tremendous benefits to Maine, including reducing road congestion, cleaner air, commuting options, and easier access to the state for tourists and economic development opportunities for businesses and communities. Extending this critical rail service to Brunswick will not only build upon the these successes but also create jobs and further boost tourism in the Midcoast region, giving the Brunswick area, which is coping with the closure of Brunswick Naval Air Station, a much-needed economic shot in the arm.”
Patricia Quinn, Executive Director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority said, “The expansion of Downeaster service to Brunswick will have a lasting impact on Maine and on northern New England. In addition to making the Downeaster service more viable and efficient, it will create jobs, generate tourism, stimulate economic development and provide greater connectivity and mobility throughout the region. This is an exciting time for passenger rail in America, and we are honored to be included in the first round of this investment package.”
The funding is being distributed by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which Senators Snowe and Collins worked to craft with a bipartisan group of senators last year. According to the NNEPRA, the expansion of Downeaster Service north to Freeport and Brunswick will further increase ridership by tens of thousands of individuals and take millions of passenger miles off Maine roads every year. Significantly, it enhances the efficiency of the service by reducing operating costs on a per passenger basis and maximizing the utility of existing equipment and labor pools. In addition to transportation benefits, expanding the Downeaster to Freeport and Brunswick will provide significant economic benefits to the region both in the near term and for years to come. It will support tourism, Maine’s largest industry, by creating a link between Boston and downtown Freeport, encouraging private development, potentially creating hundreds of jobs, and offers critical support to the redevelopment efforts that are ongoing at the Brunswick Naval Air Station, all the while providing connectivity to mid-coast Maine.
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) $35 million in High-Speed Rail Grants to be used to rehabilitate 30 miles of track to extend Amtrak’s Downeaster rail service from Portland to Brunswick.
“This is welcome news to Mainers and visitors alike,” said Senators Snowe and Collins in a joint statement. “Since its inception, the Downeaster service has enjoyed steady ridership increases, providing tremendous benefits to Maine, including reducing road congestion, cleaner air, commuting options, and easier access to the state for tourists and economic development opportunities for businesses and communities. Extending this critical rail service to Brunswick will not only build upon the these successes but also create jobs and further boost tourism in the Midcoast region, giving the Brunswick area, which is coping with the closure of Brunswick Naval Air Station, a much-needed economic shot in the arm.”
Patricia Quinn, Executive Director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority said, “The expansion of Downeaster service to Brunswick will have a lasting impact on Maine and on northern New England. In addition to making the Downeaster service more viable and efficient, it will create jobs, generate tourism, stimulate economic development and provide greater connectivity and mobility throughout the region. This is an exciting time for passenger rail in America, and we are honored to be included in the first round of this investment package.”
The funding is being distributed by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which Senators Snowe and Collins worked to craft with a bipartisan group of senators last year. According to the NNEPRA, the expansion of Downeaster Service north to Freeport and Brunswick will further increase ridership by tens of thousands of individuals and take millions of passenger miles off Maine roads every year. Significantly, it enhances the efficiency of the service by reducing operating costs on a per passenger basis and maximizing the utility of existing equipment and labor pools. In addition to transportation benefits, expanding the Downeaster to Freeport and Brunswick will provide significant economic benefits to the region both in the near term and for years to come. It will support tourism, Maine’s largest industry, by creating a link between Boston and downtown Freeport, encouraging private development, potentially creating hundreds of jobs, and offers critical support to the redevelopment efforts that are ongoing at the Brunswick Naval Air Station, all the while providing connectivity to mid-coast Maine.
SENATOR COLLINS ANNOUNCES NEARLY $600,000 FOR TWELVE MAINE FIRE DEPARTMENTS
Albion, Arrowsic, Sebago, Bangor, North Lakes, Hodgdon, Jackman, Litchfield, Mapleton, Passadumkeag, Gouldsboro and Stoneham to Receive Assistance to Firefighter Grants
U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, today announced that the Department of Homeland Security has awarded $592,810 in grant funding to eleven Maine fire departments. The funding is provided through the "Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program," or FIRE Act.
“Our career and volunteer firefighters are among our bravest public servants. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is an extremely critical source of funds for our fire and rescue personnel,” said Senator Collins. “Since the creation of this program, Maine fire departments have been awarded more than $50 million to help purchase new, used, or refurbished vehicles, and to obtain equipment for firefighting, interoperable communications, chemical detection, and other purposes that are essential to first responders.”
The following fire departments is being awarded funding through the Vehicle Acquisition Program, which helps local departments purchase equipment such as pumpers, brush trucks, tankers/tenders, rescue vehicles, ambulances, aerials, foam units and fire boats.
o Arrowsic Fire Department--- $190,000
o Litchfield Fire Department-- $118,750
Additionally, funding will be distributed to the following Maine fire departments through the Operations and Firefighting Safety Program, which consists of training, equipment, wellness and fitness, and modifications to the departments’ facilities.
o Albion Volunteer Fire Department-- $70,728
o Sebago Fire Department--$19,252
o Bangor Fire Department-- $36,000
o North Lakes Fire Department (Aroostook County)-- $36,100
o Hodgdon Fire Department-- $38,000
o Jackman-Moose River Fire Department-- $7,410
o Mapleton Fire Department-- $34,675
o Passadumkeag Fire Department-- $19,095
o Gouldsboro Fire Department-- $12,540
o Stoneham Fire Department-- $10,260
Senator Collins strongly supported the creation of the FIRE Act Grant program. These grants are awarded to fire departments across the United States to increase the effectiveness of firefighting operations, firefighter health and safety programs, emergency medical service programs, and Fire Prevention and Safety programs, and to purchase new fire equipment.
U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, today announced that the Department of Homeland Security has awarded $592,810 in grant funding to eleven Maine fire departments. The funding is provided through the "Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program," or FIRE Act.
“Our career and volunteer firefighters are among our bravest public servants. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is an extremely critical source of funds for our fire and rescue personnel,” said Senator Collins. “Since the creation of this program, Maine fire departments have been awarded more than $50 million to help purchase new, used, or refurbished vehicles, and to obtain equipment for firefighting, interoperable communications, chemical detection, and other purposes that are essential to first responders.”
The following fire departments is being awarded funding through the Vehicle Acquisition Program, which helps local departments purchase equipment such as pumpers, brush trucks, tankers/tenders, rescue vehicles, ambulances, aerials, foam units and fire boats.
o Arrowsic Fire Department--- $190,000
o Litchfield Fire Department-- $118,750
Additionally, funding will be distributed to the following Maine fire departments through the Operations and Firefighting Safety Program, which consists of training, equipment, wellness and fitness, and modifications to the departments’ facilities.
o Albion Volunteer Fire Department-- $70,728
o Sebago Fire Department--$19,252
o Bangor Fire Department-- $36,000
o North Lakes Fire Department (Aroostook County)-- $36,100
o Hodgdon Fire Department-- $38,000
o Jackman-Moose River Fire Department-- $7,410
o Mapleton Fire Department-- $34,675
o Passadumkeag Fire Department-- $19,095
o Gouldsboro Fire Department-- $12,540
o Stoneham Fire Department-- $10,260
Senator Collins strongly supported the creation of the FIRE Act Grant program. These grants are awarded to fire departments across the United States to increase the effectiveness of firefighting operations, firefighter health and safety programs, emergency medical service programs, and Fire Prevention and Safety programs, and to purchase new fire equipment.
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