SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Springfield Fire Department received a federal Assistance to Firefighters grant for $564,812. This grant will pay for hydraulic extrication equipment and sprinkler systems in the city's fire stations that don't have them.
This program is a competitive grant process through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It requires a 20 percent local match.
The grant will let the Fire Department replace the extrication equipment it uses to rescue people who are trapped in motor vehicle accidents. Some of the current equipment is as old as 20 years, so it's not capable of cutting newer metals, such as titanium, used in the construction of modern vehicles.
The grant will also let the Department place fire sprinklers in the fire stations that don't have them. A fire station typically has a service life of 40 to 50 years. All of the fire stations built since 1996 have fire sprinklers, with the exception of fire station 6, which was a renovation of an existing building so it was not required by the code.
