RELEASE: Gottheimer Announces $161,000 Federal Investment Clawed Back to Support Firefighters and Rescue North Jersey Residents From Elevators and Industrial Machines

Above: Gottheimer announcing a new $161,702 federal investment for the Englewood Fire Department.

ENGLEWOOD, NJ — Today, Thursday, August 1, 2024, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer announced a new, $161,702 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) investment clawed back from Washington to provide state-of-the-art elevator, industrial machine, and rope rescue training for Englewood firefighters. Gottheimer also highlighted his leadership on the bipartisan Fire Grants Safety Act with Representatives Bill Pascrell (NJ-9) and Tom Kean (NJ-7). Their legislation, which was signed into law just last month, reauthorizes the AFG and SAFER programs for another five years.

Video of Gottheimer’s announcement can be found here.

By clawing back more federal dollars to North Jersey communities, our mayors, councils, and first responders, we have lifted significant costs off of our town budgets and helped provide critical tax relief to our residents on their property tax line.

Federal Investments for Englewood Firefighters Highlighted By Congressman Gottheimer:

• A new, $161,702 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) investment clawed back from Washington to provide state-of-the-art elevator, industrial machine, and rope rescue training, helping Englewood firefighters respond to industrial accidents.
• $1,794,416 in Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER) to hire six full-time firefighters.
• $245,454 in Assistance to Firefighter Grants for swift water training, which helps Englewood firefighters respond to flooding emergencies.
• $87,000 in American Rescue Plan Firefighter Grant Program to restore and replace  personal protective equipment or PPE.
• $85,627 in Assistance to Firefighter Grants for an on-site training trailer.

Federal Public Safety and Emergency Response Investments for North Jersey:

• Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG), which equip and train firefighters to better respond to emergencies. Congressman Gottheimer has clawed back more than $8 million through AFG for North Jersey since entering office. 
• Staffing For Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER), which ensures that fire departments can hire and retain a 24-hour firefighting force. Congressman Gottheimer has clawed back more than $4 million through SAFER for North Jersey since 2018. 
• American Rescue Plan Firefighter Grants (ARPFFG), which helps local fire departments cover the cost of protective clothing and critical equipment. Congressman Gottheimer clawed back more than $3.4 million through ARPFFG for North Jersey since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The reason why we’re celebrating today is that, hot off the presses, Englewood just clawed back $161,702 to help its firefighters take three critical rescue courses: elevator rescues, rope rescue, and man vs. machine rescue,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “In a hustling and bustling city like Englewood, there are hundreds of elevators and industrial machines — with a risk of breaking down. We heard directly from the Chief and his team that they had to save a worker from an industrial-size dough mixer earlier this year. You don’t learn those skills in the Fire Academy, so these trainings — hosted by FEMA — are absolutely key.”

“This is a very special day for the City of Englewood, a storied city celebrating its 125th year anniversary this year, when we are the recipients of federal investments. Imagine being the mayor of a city and able to not dip into property taxes because we have a Congressman that has raised the bar: 357% higher than his predecessor as far as funding and monies that come back to our city,” said Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes. “We have more capability and greater training because of the masterfulness of our chief and the deployment of our Congressman of the resource here. We are creating a better environment than our fathers and mothers gave the city to us over. And, it’s so important for us to regale this kind of contribution….I have never met a Member of Congress that has been more proactive and simply said, ‘you have to be in it to win it. If you don’t ask, you’re not going to get the funding.’”

“We’re a young department. I like to always say that we’re an all-hazards fire department. We’re a jack-of-all-trades. We’re asked to be able to rescue people in all situations. And, the training that we’ve gotten through AFG has allowed us to be experts in all these different disciplines, whether it be hazmat, flood rescue, extrication, whatever you throw at us,” said Englewood Fire Chief Jeffrey Kaplan. “Without the AFG funds, we would never ever be able to get this kind of training. We would never be able to fund it. Without the AFG funds, we’d be dead in the water. I’d like to thank Congressman Gottheimer for making sure we have this support in Washington and helping us get those grants.”

Gottheimer was joined by Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes, Englewood City Manager Bob Hoffman, Englewood Fire Chief Jeffrey Kaplan, Englewood Councilwoman Dr. Lisa Wisotsky, Councilman Charles Cobb, PFANJ 1^st District Vice President Scott Marione, Englewood IAFF Local 3263 Fire Officer President John Escobar, and Englewood IAFF Local 3260 Firefighters President Don Devera.

Below: Gottheimer with Englewood Firefighters celebrating a new $161,702 federal investment.

Gottheimer’s remarks as prepared for delivery: 

Good morning. It’s great to be in Englewood today with our incredible firefighters. Coming to our firehouses and celebrating our first responder heroes is one of the best parts of my job. So, thank you for having me today, thank you for your partnership, and thank you for all that you do to protect and serve our communities.

Today, I come bearing good news: a six-figure federal investment – a new AFG grant – that we’ve clawed back from Washington to help Englewood Fire Department better respond and rescue residents from elevators, machines, and some very harrowing industrial machine accidents.

It’s an honor and a privilege to give back in a small way to you, our firefighters, who do so much for our communities. Thanks for getting our backs. You’ll hear me say it over and over: we must always get the backs of those who have ours. 

The investments that we claw back to Jersey, like the one I’m highlighting today, are the results of hard work and close partnership with phenomenal leaders like Mayor Wildes, Englewood Chief Jeffrey Kaplan, the City Council, and the great labor organizations that represent our firefighters like the Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey and the International Association of Firefighters. I’m so glad to have Scott Marione from PFA-NJ and John Escobar and Don Devera from IAFF joining us here today.

Ever since I was elected to Congress, I’ve been laser focused on clawing our federal tax dollars back from Washington to help strengthen our communities. Here in the City of Englewood, we’ve worked together to claw back nearly $6 million since 2023, including more than $2.3 million for firefighters alone. It’s a monumental achievement, and I know those investments are paying dividends when it comes to emergency response and public safety. 

My dad has always said to me, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.” And, for too long, North Jersey, specifically the Fifth District, didn’t fight for federal grants, whether that was hoses to help our firefighters fight a five-alarm fire or radios to help our EMTs stay connected in times of emergency. We left money on the table by not applying, which was swept up by Red States that I lovingly call the “Moocher States.” I’ve resolved to change that and show up — whenever and however I can — to help our communities claw back investment. That’s why I was proud to write a letter of support for Englewood’s AFG application and why I will always support our communities going after these grants.

Clawing back investments for our communities is a win-win-win – for our families, for our first responders, for our communities. By clawing back major grants, we’re making sure that Jersey gets what it deserves. Jersey historically has received about 67 cents for every dollar we send to Washington, that’s about four times less than Moocher States like Mississippi and West Virginia. 

The more federal tax dollars we claw back to Jersey, the less our towns have to charge in local property taxes. And, as you know well, our taxes are far too high. Jersey has the highest property taxes in the nation, including a median tax bill of more than $15,000 here in Bergen County. I’m all about lowering taxes and doing everything we can to make life more affordable. To me, it’s all about making sure you can afford to work, live, and stay in Jersey with your families. 

I am very proud that, since 2017, working together, we are up 357 percent in the federal tax dollars that we’ve clawed back to North Jersey from Washington, helping to keep the Fifth District Safe. Federal grant programs like LESO, COPS, and NPSG, have ensured our law enforcement, EMS, and religious institutions have what they need to stay safe and keep our communities safe. But today, I want to focus on AFG, SAFER, and ARPFFG, three exceptional programs, which have been a major help to our firefighters in Englewood and across North Jersey. 

Since 2023, Englewood has clawed back just under $500,000 in Assistance to Firefighters Grants or AFG grants program. That helps our firefighters and EMS access critical equipment, including protective gear, emergency vehicles, and training they need to protect our communities. The reason why we’re celebrating today is that, hot off the presses, Englewood just clawed back $161,702 — and seven cents — to help its firefighters take three critical rescue courses: elevator rescues, rope rescue, and man vs. machine rescue. That last one sounds like it’s straight out of The Terminator. Sign me up!

In all seriousness, these trainings will help equip Englewood firefighters for some of their highest risk rescues. In a hustling and bustling city like Englewood, there are hundreds of elevators and industrial machines — with a risk of breaking down. We heard directly from the Chief and his team that they had to save a worker from an industrial-size dough mixer earlier this year. You don’t learn those skills in the Fire Academy, so these trainings — hosted by FEMA — are absolutely key. 

This federal investment will fully train and equip our firefighters for these rescues, all without raising the local tax burden. It’s a major victory for public safety and for our hardworking families. We must do everything we can to prevent a tragic loss of life on the job. 

Across our region, we’ve clawed back more than $8 million in AFG dollars for more than forty municipalities across Bergen, Sussex, and Passaic Counties. In addition to trainings, these investments are helping our first responders buy ladder trucks, air filters, and masks, so they’re ready to respond to any emergency. 

Also, following the pandemic, I proudly helped pass the American Rescue Plan, which included dollars for new protective uniforms, oxygen tanks, and cleaning equipment for our firefighters, all while lowering the local property tax burden.

All in all, the Fifth District has clawed back more than $3.5 million in ARPFFG dollars, including $87,000 right here in Englewood that they’ve used to help freshen up and replace personal protective equipment or PPE. 

Finally, it’s essential that we have firefighters round-the-clock ready to respond. After all, fires don’t just pop up from 9 to 5. Englewood is lucky to have a full-time career fire squad, but many of our communities rely on volunteers, which are harder and harder to come by. That’s why we rely on the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant — or “SAFER” grants — to help pay local professional and volunteer firefighters. 

Back in 2023, we helped Englewood claw back nearly $1.8 million to hire and retain six full-time firefighters, which is an absolute game-changer for this community. And they’re not alone: since 2018, we’ve clawed back more than $4 million for eleven towns across North Jersey: Park Ridge, Harrington Park, Washington, and more.

At the beginning of last month, President Biden signed the Fire Grants Safety Act into law, a critical piece of bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the AFG and SAFER programs for another five years. I was incredibly proud to work with Bill Pascrell and Tom Kean to get this bill over the finish line. And fingers crossed, we’ll win even more of these grants over the next five years!  

We must always have the backs of our firefighters and other first responders, just as you always have our backs. Last month, I recognized Dillon Rinaldo, a firefighter originally from Fair Lawn who tragically died in the line of duty, as a Hometown Hero. When Dillon charged into that burning building, he didn’t think about who he was saving and who they might be voting for. He was focused on saving lives, because he, like all of you, is a true hero. At the end of the day, there’s nothing partisan about protecting our communities and equipping our first responders. 

And, I promise you, this is just the beginning. I hope to join you back here next year to celebrate even more investments to protect our communities. I look forward to continuing our partnership and delivering even more investment to our firefighters from Washington. I will always stand with our firefighters because they stand for us.

By working together to stand up for safety, here in the greatest country in the world, our best days will always be ahead of us.

Thank you. God bless you, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.

###