The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced the second round of the Fiscal Year 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, awarding 22 grants to fire departments throughout the United States. This round of fire grants provides $1,655,618 to help local fire departments and emergency medical services programs to purchase or receive training, first responder health and safety programs, equipment, and response vehicles.

The largest grants of the round were awarded to the Rockford (Ill.) Fire Department ($425,600); Cressona (Pa.) Fire Company No. 1 ($230,850); the Morley (Iowa) Fire Department ($140,600); the Pinetop (Ariz.) Fire Department ($131,100); and the Jackson (Ala.) Fire Department ($120,608). A complete list of FY '06 AFG recipients is available at www.firegrantsupport.com.

The DHS Office of Grants and Training administers the grants in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration. In 2005, Congress reauthorized the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program to run through 2010.