The Oxford Fire Department will receive a slice of a total $3.6 million in federal grants allocated to fire departments throughout New York State. (Evening Sun file photo)

OXFORD – The Oxford Fire Department will be among five departments in the southern tier to receive a financial boost as part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) latest round of firefighter safety grants.

Federal officials announced Monday that Oxford will get $95,238 in federal dollars through FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program.

Grant funds will allow the Oxford Fire Department to bolster firefighter training efforts and purchase essential equipment and protective gear. OFD can also use the money for recruitment efforts.

This is the second wave of federal funding recently awarded to OFD. The last round of federal SAFER grants saw $224,000 to the department which was put toward recruitment and retention. The department used those funds to create a public engagement position to help publicize it in an effort to attract new members. The grant also lifted some burden from taxpayers by paying costs of the first set of protective clothing for new recruits.

OFD’s share of grants is only a slice of a total $3.6 million announced Monday for fire departments across New York State, seven of which are in the Central New York and Southern Tier regions. Funding is awarded on a competitive basis to the applicants that most closely address the program’s priorities and show a financial need.

“These courageous first responders deserve all the federal support possible to ensure they have the adequate training, protective gear, and equipment they need to keep themselves and New Yorkers across the state safe,” said U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer who announced grant allocations on Monday.

Schumer added that the latest round of SAFER grants will help “keep New York’s dedicated firefighters prepared to take on any emergency.”

OFD Fire Chief Ron Martin has worked closely with other department leaders in recent years to recruit new volunteers — something he says is an issue that fire departments are facing all across the country. While OFD is in better shape than some neighboring departments that face a serious threat of closure, including those in the Hamlet of Brisben and the Town of McDonough, it’s struggling to find young volunteers.

With a volunteer base that works days – many of whom work outside the country – handling daytime calls, in most cases, is where the department wrestles most, says Martin.