Dowell Lands $218,500 for New Crew Cab Fire Truck

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Dowell Fire Department has been awarded a grant through the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) for a new four-door crew cab rescue pumper.

The total amount received from the federal government was $218,500. The total purchase price will be $230,000, according to David Hock of the Dowell Fire Department.

This truck will replace a 1980 pumper and a 1977 rescue truck. The truck should be received by mid summer.

The announcement comes from the office of Congressman Jerry Costello. The $218,500 comes from the Assistance to Firefighters program of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The Assistance to Firefighters grant program provides critical resources to fire departments across the nation and in our region to maintain an adequate level of safety in our communities. Costello, a former police officer, emphasized that it is essential that our first responders have adequate resources to assist with local and national emergencies.

"In addition to responding to local emergencies, our firefighters and other first responders play an important role as part of our national system of responding to large-scale disasters and other catastrophic events," said Costello. "Federal resources to help maintain our local response capability serve an important national purpose. Our first responders put their lives on the line every day, and their dedication deserves our full support."