Fire Department Gets $65,000 Grant

South Plainfield's volunteer fire department will receive $65,000 for new radios thanks to a federal grant geared toward bettering communications for first responders.

Congressman Leonard Lance announced the grant on award on Friday.  South Plainfield is one of two towns in central Jersey to receive the funding; the other is Bound Brook.

Chief Larry Del Negro, who prepared the grant application, said the funds will go toward purchasing ten 800-megahertz radios for inside the department's fire trucks.

Del Negro called to process for obtaining the grant "extremely competitive," with thousands of fire departments across the country applying for funds.  He thanked not only his own volunteers and officers for helping in the process, but also gave credit to Police Sgt. Jim Foran, who has been working to integrate the department's new radio system into the central dispatch system.

Del Negro said the radios will help make safer the "dangerous" tasks performed by his firefighters.  He added that firefighters will be able to communicate on assigned radio frequencies not just in South Plainfield, but that they will now have clear communication anywhere in Middlesex County.

This is the second federal grant the department received in as many years.  Last year the department received almost $138,000 to purchase hand-held radios.  Del Negro said the new radio system "will meet the needs of the South Plainfield Fire Department not only today, but for years to come."