MIDDLEBURY — FEMA has announced $7.8 million in direct assistance grants to 340 fire departments nationwide,  including the Middlebury Fire Department. The grants are part of the agency’s FY2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grant COVID-19 Supplemental program (AFG-S). 
Middlebury got a $2,566 grant, and was one of only three departments in Vermont to do so. The others were in Norwich and Underhill-Jericho.
The Fiscal Year 2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program – COVID-19 Supplemental (AFG-S) is a supplemental funding opportunity under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG). AFG is one of three FEMA grant programs that focus on enhancing the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and fire-related hazards. The grant provides financial assistance directly to eligible fire departments, nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations, and State Fire Training Academies for critical Personal Protective Equipment and supplies needed to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency. 
The Middlebury Fire Department is responsible for managing the award within federal guidelines with technical assistance and monitoring provided by FEMA Fire Program Specialists.