City of Pharr Awarded $24,772.73 Federal Assistance Grant for Firefighters

Pharr, Texas – Pharr city officials were informed late last week by U.S. Senator John Cornyn that Pharr has been awarded $24,772.73 in funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. The funding was appropriated by the CARES Act in order to enhance operations and safety, recruitment, and retention for fire departments in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“This funding will help the City of Pharr ensure that our hardworking firefighters and fire department have the resources they need to continue to safely serve our residents throughout the pandemic,” said Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez, M.D. “We are thankful for the support from our federal legislators and Senator John Cornyn,” he added.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program aims to strengthen the nation’s overall level of preparedness and ability to respond to fire and related hazards.   Sen. Cornyn issued the following statement in his press release regarding the grant, “While our firefighters are doing everything they can to keep Texans safe during this outbreak, the federal government should make sure they have every resource they need,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I applaud area leaders for their work to obtain these grants, and I’ll continue to do everything I can to support firefighters in the Rio Grande Valley.”

Over $143,00 in grants were awarded to local entities in the Rio Grande Valley to support firefighters including, the Los Fresnos Volunteer Fire Department, City of McAllen, and the City of Peñitas.