Nearly $95K federal grant awarded to Westport FD for swiftwater rescue training

WESTPORT, Conn — The Westport Fire Department is the recipient of a nearly $95,000 federal grant to fund firefighters' swiftwater rescue training.

The $94,952 grant was awarded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. According to Westport Fire Chief Nicholas Marsan, the program is a "highly competitive national initiative" that helps strengthen fire departments' emergency response capabilities nationwide.

The program will help Westport firefighters gain critical skills for rescues in flooding and coastal incidents, along with other water emergencies, through "hands-on, scenario-based instruction in moving water environments," Marsan said.

“Our firefighters are often called to respond to emergencies during severe weather and flooding