FEMA Awards $1 Million For First Responder Training

The National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium has been awarded a grant for $1 million to train first responders on how to handle accidents involving alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles.

"The next generation vehicles that use alternative fuels and advanced technologies are just as safe as conventional vehicles, but different," [Al Ebron, NAFTC executive director,] said. "Therefore, it is critical that our first responders are properly trained to understand the differences, so they can safely respond, without any hesitation, to an accident involving these vehicles."

The grant will fund training at 12 state fire academies and allow NAFTC to offer 8,500 scholarships to firefighters.

NAFTC has been conducting its First Responder Safety Training program since 2005 and has trained thousands of firefighters and other first responders.