AUSTIN – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that fire departments in Austin and across Central Texas were awarded federal grants totaling $1,442,650 through the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program, which will help save lives and keep Texans safe by improving recruitment, training, and retention efforts of emergency personnel; strengthening community fire prevention programs; enhancing emergency response; and upgrading equipment:

“Texas is home to some of the nation’s bravest and most highly skilled first responders and firefighters, who consistently go above and beyond the call of duty and risk their own safety to help others,” said Sen. Cornyn. “These resources will provide critical support to fire departments and equip our heroes with the tools needed to continue saving lives.”