Rep. Gillen Announces More Than $500,000 in New Federal Funding for Nassau County Fire Departments

October 6, 2026 Press Release GARDEN CITY, NY — Today, Congresswoman Laura Gillen (NY-04) announced that four fire departments in New York’s Fourth Congressional District have been awarded more than $500,000 total in federal funding for improved equipment, training and recruitment. Three departments were awarded Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG), including the Inwood Fire Department for emergency vehicle acquisition as well as the Bellerose Terrace Fire Department and the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department for operations and safety. Stewart Manor Village received funding through the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant to help recruit and retain more volunteer firefighters. “Firefighters across Long Island put their lives on the line every day to protect our families and communities. They should have the resources of a modern firefighting force,” said Rep. Gillen . “I’m proud to help secure more than $500,000 in federal funding for Nassau County fire departments to support critical equipment, vehicle and recruitment needs. I will continue working with our local fire departments to deliver federal dollars and ensure they have the tools and support they need to keep our communities safe.” “The chiefs, officers and members of the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department thank Congresswoman Gillen very much,” said Chief Joseph McHugh, Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department. “This will help keep our members safe and take a big financial burden off of us.” The Inwood Fire Department received $220,476 through the AFG program to assist with the purchase of new vehicles for the department. The Stewart Manor Village Fire Department received $119,500 through the SAFER program to help recruit and retain trained volunteer firefighters. The Bellerose Terrace Fire District received $96,666 through the AFG program to help support the operations and safety of their department. Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department received $72,857 through the AFG program to help support the operations and safety of their department. During the FY25 grant application process, Rep. Gillen urged all departments in New York’s Fourth Congressional District to apply for funding through the AFG and SAFER programs and wrote letters of support. As a member of the bipartisan Congressional Fire Services Caucus, Rep. Gillen has also pushed for increased funding for the AFG and SAFER Programs to help ensure Long Island fire departments have the federal resources to improve emergency response and support their firefighters. The AFG program, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), provides funding to local fire departments to help obtain needed equipment, protective gear, vehicles and training. The SAFER grant is a federal program administered by FEMA that provides direct funding to local fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations to help increase or maintain the number of trained firefighters. ###