SAINT CLAIR - The Columbia Hose Company No. 2 was selected to receive a $39,900 grant through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program.
U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-17, announced the award of the grant Friday, saying it would be used for enhancements to operations and safety.
Frank Uhrin, president of the company and Saint Clair borough fire chief, said the money will be used to buy self-contained breathing apparatus.
Uhrin said the company plans to purchase eight new Scott air pack units along with eight spare air cylinders.
Although Uhrin said he did not know exactly how many years the current packs are in service, he described them as being "pretty old."
"They are long overdue," he said of new air packs.
"Without the grant we would not have been able to get new packs," he said. "This is a tremendous asset to the safety of our firefighters."
Cartwright said the primary goal of Assistance to Firefighters Grants is to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and non-affiliated emergency medical service organizations.
Since its inception in 2001, the program has helped firefighters and EMS providers obtain critically needed equipment and other resources needed to protect themselves and the public from fire and related hazards, Cartwright said.
Fire companies and EMS units may use grant money for fire operations and firefighter safety including training, equipment, protective gear, firefighter wellness and fitness, modifications to fire stations and facilities and vehicle acquisition.
The AFG program is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency with the assistance of the U.S. Fire Administration.