<strong>From staff reports</strong>

The City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department has been awarded a $200,749 grant from the Department of Homeland Security to enhance firefighters’ training.

This grant requires a 10 percent match from Beaufort/Port Royal, bringing the total to $220,824 for training.

The grant will allow the Fire Department to send 24 firefighters to advanced emergency medical technician training.

“This training will increase emergency medical knowledge, skills, and abilities of our professional firefighting staff,” Fire Department Chief Reece Bertholf said in a release. “Our mission is to take a customer service approach in service to our citizens, with caring, empathy, and understanding. This grant aids in achieving that mission while acting as good stewards of public funds.”

The purpose of Assistance to Firefighters Grant program is to protect the health and safety of the public and firefighting personnel against fire and fire-related hazards. The DHS determined that Beaufort/Port Royal’s Fire Department training project met those criteria.

The department has received a number of grants over the years, including a federal SAFER grant of $1.5 million in 2016 that allowed the department to hire 15 firefighters.