MILFORD – The Milford Fire-Rescue Department has been awarded a grant worth $39,033 to purchase and upgrade firefighting equipment. Machinery to fill air tanks will be purchased with the funds along with additional tanks, Assistant Chief Mike Headd said. “They’re going to be used for a cascade system, which is used to fill our air bottles,” he said. “We wanted to upgrade some bottles and get some spare bottles.”Personal safety equipment for firefighters is another item the funds will be used for.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which falls under the U. S. Department of Homeland Security, is sponsoring the 2003 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. The award is part of $750 million being distributed to more than 7,000 fire departments nationwide.