Bonifay awarded nearly $52,000 federal grant for fire equipment

The City of Bonifay has been awarded nearly $52,000 in federal funding to purchase new firefighting equipment through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program.

According to an award letter from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the city was approved for $51,928.57 in federal funding through the Fiscal Year 2025 Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. The award became effective September 21.

The grant requires the city to provide a non-federal match of $2,596.43, bringing the total approved project budget to$54,525.

The funding is designated entirely for equipment intended to strengthen the fire department’s water supply and firefighting capabilities.

Among the largest purchases approved under the grant are 30 sections of 4-inch, 100-foot large-diameter fire hose, budgeted at $24,000. The grant also provides $14,400 for six large-diameter hose piston intake relief valves and $10,500 for three portable ground monitors.

Additional equipment includes three large-diameter hose straps for hydrant assistance at a total cost of $750, three Storz wrench sets with brackets totaling $675, and 21 large-diameter hose adapters and fittings totaling $4,200.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant program is designed to provide fire departments and other eligible emergency response organizations with resources needed to protect firefighters and the public from fire and related hazards. FEMA determined Bonifay’s proposed project was consistent with the program’s objectives and approved it for funding.

Under the grant agreement, the project and budget performance period runs from September 28, 2026, through September 27, 2028, giving the city two years to carry out the approved purchases and meet federal grant requirements.

The award represents a significant investment in Bonifay’s firefighting infrastructure, with the city contributing less than $2,600 locally toward more than $54,000 in new equipment. Once purchased, the large-diameter hoses, monitors, valves and fittings will provide firefighters with additional equipment for moving and managing water during structure fires and other emergency responses.