Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

Nearly a year after securing a grant to outfit two ambulances with new power-load cot fastener systems, Carpentersville Fire Department officials recently learned more federal funding is on the way.

The department has been awarded $238,637 through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant.

The funding will be used to replace the department’s aging self-contained breathing apparatus. The village’s required 10 percent match of $23,863, for a total of $262,500, will be used to help purchase 35 new air packs. The fire department’s equipment has reached its lifespan.

Last year, the Carpentersville Fire Department received $61,819 in Assistance to Firefighters Grants, funding the Stryker Power-LOAD systems and cots. The battery-operated systems allow medics to lift and lower patients to ambulances with the touch of a button, helping to reduce the risk of back injuries.

Tags: Carpentersville Fire Department, Carpentersville receives grant, U.S. Department of Homeland Security's FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant