Salinas, CA -- The City of Salinas learned Friday (May 6) that its Fire Department had been awarded a 2015 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The grant, worth about $98,000, will be used to replace aging Thermal Imaging Cameras (TICs), which locate victims in smoke-filled environments or water, and can also find hidden areas of fire in walls and ceilings. Over the years these TIC's have been in use, they have saved many lives.

The grant funds will be used to buy one TIC for each of 10 pieces of front line fire equipment: six engine companies, two truck companies, one battalion chief car, and one Haz/Mat response vehicle.

"The success of our grant application is a result of the commitment of our City Council in advocating on our behalf for the importance of this equipment," said Fire Chief Ed Rodriguez.

While he was in Washington, DC March 5-9 for a National League of Cities conference, Council Member Steve McShane met with FEMA officials to press the case for new TICs.

The Department will have until March, 2017 to purchase and deploy them.

Meanwhile two additional AFG applications are pending, one for radios and one for station alerting systems. In total, the Fire Department applied for more than $2.4 million in state and federal grant funds in 2015, so far receiving $1.3 million in awards.

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