Bellbrook firefighters got the call they were hoping for, but not expecting.

Monday, officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's United States Fire Administration contacted the department to congratulate them on their receipt of an Assistance to Firefighters Grant. The monies will go toward improving communications on the fireground between department personnel and personnel from others agencies, and between EMS units and receiving hospitals.

Chief Scott Hall was shocked that the department was picked.

"Just in the category we applied in, firefighting equipment, were more than 8,341 requests for close to $410 million in funding," Hall said. "To be chosen from those figures is incredible."

The department will receive just over $21,000 from the government, which will be matched at 10 percent by the city.

The funding comes from the first federal assistance program for fire departments. Senator Mike Dewine, R-OH, was a co-sponsor of the bill, officially known as the Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) Act, in the US Senate.

"More than 19,700 fire departments - volunteer and career - applied for grants this year, submitting requests totaling almost $2.98 billion," said FEMA Director Joe M. Allbaugh. "The President and I hope this program helps to begin addressing the critical needs of our nation's fire service."

Only $100 million was available for awards in fiscal year 2001.

Lieutenant Ben Abes, who prepared the grant, stressed the importance of programs at the federal level to support firefighting activities.

"Other public safety organizations have numerous programs to assist with equipment, staffing and training with funding nearly hundreds of times greater than the FIRE Act allots," he said. "We're pleased, however, to see that our elected officials in Washington are working toward developing more programs like this in the future."

Release I01-06