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Elmwood Park F.D. gets grant for fire safety and prevention
Elmwood Park Fire Chief Michael Ventura
Updated: April 29, 2013 10:01AM
ELMWOOD PARK — Fire departments do more than fight fires after they start.
They also try to prevent them, and the Elmwood Park Fire Department recently received some help to do just that.
On Monday, the department received $2,500 grant from FM Global, a commercial and industrial property insurance company.
The company’s Fire Prevention Grant Program awards grants quarterly to fire departments and other agencies that demonstrate a need for funding and the money would be used to make an impact on preventing fires.
Elmwood Park Fire Chief Michael Ventura said the money will be well spent. He gives credit to Capt. Kevin Flaherty, who applied for the grant on behalf of the department.
“We’ll use that money to purchase items to pass out to children to educate them on fire prevention,” he said.
He said some of the money will be used for fire prevention literature and other items like pencils, pencil cases and balloons that attract youth and at the same time spreads the message of fire prevention. The money will also be used to purchase new smoke detectors to be given to those in need and free CPR classes for residents.
Elmwood Park Village President Peter Silvestri was at the check presentation March 18. “Every little bit helps,” he said.
He said their fire department was among 100 applicants for the grant; 25 applicants received money.
