Great Falls Fire Department Awarded $990,500.00 FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant

GREAT FALLS, MT - Chief Jeremy Jones is pleased to announce Great Falls Fire Rescue (GFFR) was awarded an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the amount of $990,500.00. To date, the AFG is the largest individual grant awarded to GFFR. As with other grants awarded to the GFFR, the application was written in-house, not contracted to a grant writing service, which resulted in cost savings for GFFR and the City.

The awarded funds will be used towards purchasing a Quint aerial apparatus that will replace GFFR's 96' SME Smeal Quint aerial, which has exceeded its service life. The 96' Quint has undergone major repairs and mechanical maintenance over the years as a result of heavy response volume. Due to AFG requirements and ongoing mechanical issues, the 96' Quint will be retired and no longer used for emergency response once the new aerial apparatus is purchased and in service. The purchase of the new aerial apparatus would not be possible without the AFG funding.
"We are very excited to be awarded grant funds to fulfill a public safety need in our community," Chief Jones stated. "The grant applications were reviewed by our peers throughout the country. It's humbling to know they agree with our need and awarded GFFR the maximum funding that a recipient with a population less than 100,000 may receive under the AFG."

Once in service, the apparatus will be assigned as GFFR's primary frontline apparatus, responding to all incident types, and will also be utilized when assigned to respond to mutual aid incidents outside city limits.

Benefits of the new Quint include increased safety and response for our community and fire fighters. Densely populated areas with multilevel businesses and apartments limit accessibility. The new Quint will include a 107ft ladder compared to the 75ft ladder on the 96' Quint. This allows for increased vertical and horizontal reach, improves range and accessibility in tighter spaces, and boosts extension to buildings set back from the street. It will also improve high and low-angle rescue in areas involving cliffs and along the river.

Great Falls Fire Rescue would like to thank the City Commission for their support in allowing GFFR to apply for the AFG grant and approving funding for the 10% match and the remaining cost of purchasing the new aerial apparatus.