RELEASE: Fifth District Claws Back $575,000+ in Federal Resources for North Jersey Firefighters in 2021

Above: Gottheimer recently visited members of the Paramus Fire Department to announce new reporting of federal tax dollars clawed back to the Fifth District.

NORTH JERSEY — Today, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) announced this year’s round of federal investment that Fifth District first responders have clawed back for vital safety and service equipment and to help lower property taxes — more than $575,000 total federal investment to fire departments in North Jersey. 

New federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) recipients for this year include the Oradell Fire Department, the Ramsey Fire Department, the Old Tappan Fire Department, and the Paramus Fire Department. 

Oradell Fire Department: $31,000 for fire attack and supply hoses and nozzles.

Ramsey Fire Department: $41,000 washer extractors and dryers to decontaminate firefighters’ gear and help prevent cancer. 

Old Tappan Fire Department: $139,000 for more than 25 portable radios.

Paramus Fire Department: $363,000 for 80 radios.

“North Jersey’s firefighters have our backs every day, running into fires and saving lives. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant is a great opportunity to claw more of the federal tax dollars that we send to Washington back to Jersey, so our first responders have the tools they need to stay safe and keep our communities safe,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), a member of the bipartisan Congressional Fire Services Caucus. “Historically, our state has received pennies back on the dollars we send to Washington, compared to Moocher States like Mississippi and Alabama. We’ve made great progress in solving that problem, by clawing back federal investment, lowering the property tax burden on our residents, and supporting our local communities.”

The AFG program helps firehouses across the country to upgrade or purchase new equipment, vehicles, workplace training, and other fire prevention activities.

As a proud member of the bipartisan Congressional Fire Services Caucus, Gottheimer has been laser-focused on encouraging North Jersey towns to apply for grant programs to return federal tax dollars to North Jersey, including through the AFG and SAFER grant programs.

Gottheimer recently released his Return on Investment Report for the last calendar year, and announced that New Jersey’s Fifth District has clawed 112% more federal tax dollars back from Washington and the Moocher States since he took office. For the last calendar year alone, the federal tax dollars clawed back amount to an average savings of $415 for each household in the Fifth District in 2020 — not including the support from the COVID-19 relief packages. 

Gottheimer’s Return on Investment team has visited all 79 towns in the Fifth District to raise awareness of the availability of federal grant dollars, written congressional letters of support, convened at least 15 Mayor Summits to train local leaders on how to apply for grants, hosted 15 grant workshops, sent thousands of letters and scores of emails to local leaders, and held more than 600 meetings with local officials.

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