TL;DR: The C&B Fire Department will replace its entire fleet of aging self-contained breathing apparatus units after department officials announced a $408,931.66 award through the FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant program.

Award announced for full SCBA fleet replacement

The C&B Fire Department has been awarded $408,931.66 through the FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, according to ABC News 4.

Department officials announced the award, according to ABC News 4.

The announcement was reported on September 29, 2026, at 10:35 PM by reporter Colin Russell, according to ABC News 4.

The report was filed from Charleston, S.C. by WCIV, according to ABC News 4.

The funding will be used to replace the department's entire fleet of aging self-contained breathing apparatus units, according to ABC News 4.

Self-contained breathing apparatus units are identified by the abbreviation SCBA, according to ABC News 4.

Firefighters use SCBA units for respiratory protection when entering hazardous environments, according to ABC News 4.

The department described the grant as a significant investment in both firefighter safety and the community, according to ABC News 4.

Department officials noted that SCBA equipment is among the most critical tools used during emergency operations, according to ABC News 4.

The new equipment will provide improved respiratory protection for firefighters responding to emergencies across the department's service area, according to ABC News 4.

The new equipment will provide updated technology for firefighters responding to emergencies across the department's service area, according to ABC News 4.

The new equipment will provide enhanced safety for firefighters responding to emergencies across the department's service area, according to ABC News 4.

The reporting attributed that assessment of improved protection, technology and safety to experts, according to ABC News 4.

The Charleston & Berkeley County Fire Department thanked FEMA and the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program for supporting the project, according to ABC News 4.

Officials said the project will help improve protection for firefighters and the residents they serve, according to ABC News 4.

What SCBA means on the fireground

SCBA units are portable respiratory protection devices that supply clean, compressed air to firefighters in toxic or oxygen-deficient environments, according to reporting by the Derby Informer.

Derby Fire Department recently received an Assistance to Firefighters Grant through FEMA for SCBA units, according to the Derby Informer.

Derby Fire Department is set to receive $281,590 in federal grant funds to purchase 30 SCBA apparatus for its growing department, according to the Derby Informer.

The city of Derby will fund $28,159 of the cost through the Derby Difference sales tax as part of the grant requirements, according to the Derby Informer.

The Derby report was published on September 28, 2026, according to the Derby Informer.

Fire officials in Illinois say SCBA equipment is critical to firefighter safety, particularly when crews are working in dangerous conditions involving fire, smoke and extreme heat, according to Decatur Radio.

That Illinois assessment involved the Midland Fire Protection District and three neighboring fire departments, according to Decatur Radio.

The Midland Fire Protection District award will benefit fire departments in Midland, Edinburg, Mount Auburn and Moweaqua, according to Decatur Radio.

The funding for those four departments will be used to purchase new self-contained breathing apparatus along with a new SCBA fill station, according to Decatur Radio.

Officials said the regional partnership also strengthens the departments' ability to work together during emergencies, according to Decatur Radio.

The departments credited First Due Consulting for its assistance in securing the grant, according to Decatur Radio.

Part of a national FY 2025 award wave

On September 22, 2026, FEMA announced 1,404 Fire and EMS grants under the FY 2025 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, according to First Responder Grants.

A total of $265,816,335 in fire grants and EMS grants will be distributed to public safety agencies from coast to coast, according to First Responder Grants.

The article reporting that national total was published on September 25, 2026, according to First Responder Grants.

The national breakdown included 1,404 total grants, according to First Responder Grants.

The national breakdown included 288 awards under $50,000, according to First Responder Grants.

That group of smaller awards included 20 awards under $10,000, according to First Responder Grants.

The national breakdown included 49 awards from $750,000 to $1,000,000, according to First Responder Grants.

That larger group included 5 awards for $1 million, according to First Responder Grants.

The national breakdown included 116 Vehicle Acquisition AFG grants, according to First Responder Grants.

The national breakdown included 1,288 Operations and Safety AFG grants, according to First Responder Grants.

The AFG fire grants will fund SCBA, according to First Responder Grants.

The AFG fire grants will fund regional grants for SCBA and SCBA compressor and PPE, according to First Responder Grants.

The AFG fire grants will fund brush trucks, ladder trucks, engines, and tanker/tenders, according to First Responder Grants.

The AFG fire grants will fund ambulances, hose, nozzles and appliances, according to First Responder Grants.

The AFG fire grants will fund training for EMT-A, according to First Responder Grants.

The AFG fire grants will fund paramedic training with associated coverage and overtime, according to First Responder Grants.

The AFG fire grants will fund structural PPE and wildland PPE, according to First Responder Grants.

The AFG fire grants will fund thermal imagers, according to First Responder Grants.

The AFG fire grants will fund direct source vehicle exhaust capture systems, according to First Responder Grants.

The AFG fire grants will fund extractors and dryers, according to First Responder Grants.

The AFG fire grants will fund portable radios and hand tools, according to First Responder Grants.

The AFG fire grants will fund nonaffiliated EMS for cardiac monitors, CPR devices and other equipment, according to First Responder Grants.

How other departments sized SCBA purchases

Five area fire departments received Assistance to Firefighters Grants announced last week, according to KTLO.

The five departments are among 1,399 departments across the country sharing $264.8 million in grant money, according to KTLO.

All five departments received the grants for operations and safety, according to KTLO.

The KTLO report was published on September 28, 2026, according to KTLO.

The Pineville Volunteer Fire Department in Izard County received $193,033, according to KTLO.

The Pineville department says the grant will be used to purchase new bunker gear and multi-function gear for all members, according to KTLO.

The Pineville grant also included a specialized washer and drying cabinet for the gear, according to KTLO.

The City of Norfork received a $114,856 grant, according to KTLO.

The Norfork Volunteer Fire Department will use the money to purchase new self-contained breathing apparatuses, according to KTLO.

Norfork plans to purchase 24 air bottles, 12 new SCBA packs and 12 masks, according to KTLO.

The City of Viola received a grant of $96,952, according to KTLO.

The Viola Volunteer Fire Department will use the grant to replace SCBAs that are outdated, according to KTLO.

Viola plans to purchase 10 new SCBA packs, 10 masks and 20 air bottles, according to KTLO.

The Eastern Douglas County Volunteer Fire Department received $23,809, according to KTLO.

The City of Forsyth received a grant for $7,619, according to KTLO.

Neither the Eastern Douglas County department nor the City of Forsyth has announced what the plans are for the grant money, according to KTLO.

Why departments replace aging air packs

SCBA equipment has an expected service life of about 15 years, according to Decatur Radio.

Officials said the equipment used by all four Illinois departments is at or beyond that expected lifespan, according to Decatur Radio.

Over time, high-pressure cylinders can be exposed to extreme heat, according to Decatur Radio.

Over time, harness materials can deteriorate, according to Decatur Radio.

Over time, hoses and O-rings can fail, according to Decatur Radio.

The new equipment for those departments will meet current safety standards and provide firefighters with updated technology, according to Decatur Radio.

Cedar Grove Fire Department in Thorsby recently received a grant that will replace and upgrade critical equipment that will help save lives, according to the Clanton Advertiser.

Cedar Grove received a $272,060.95 grant from FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grants, according to the Clanton Advertiser.

The Clanton Advertiser report was published on September 30, 2026, according to the Clanton Advertiser.

The FEMA grant purchased 27 new self-contained breathing apparatus units that meet the current standards, according to the Clanton Advertiser.

The FEMA grant purchased spare SCBA cylinders, according to the Clanton Advertiser.

The FEMA grant purchased individual SCBA facepieces for each department member, according to the Clanton Advertiser.

The FEMA grant purchased two rapid intervention team kits, according to the Clanton Advertiser.

The rapid intervention team kits are identified by the abbreviation RIT kits, according to the Clanton Advertiser.

Local match and program administration

The Cedar Grove grant requires a 5% local match by the department of $13,603.05, which the department provided, according to the Clanton Advertiser.

The AFG program provides direct financial assistance to fire departments, nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations and state fire training academies, according to the Clanton Advertiser.

For fiscal year 2025, FEMA made $291.6 million available to the AFG program, according to the Clanton Advertiser.

The AFG Program is one of three fire grant programs that constitute FEMA's focus on enhancing the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and related hazards, according to KTLO.

Since fiscal year 2001, the AFG has awarded approximately $9 billion in grants to provide critically needed resources that equip and train emergency personnel to recognized standards, enhance operational efficiencies, foster interoperability, and support community resilience, according to KTLO.

Winning a grant is the beginning of the AFG journey because grants such as AFG require consistent administration and on-time reporting, according to First Responder Grants.

Failure to manage a grant properly can result in losing the grant that was worked for to win, according to First Responder Grants.

Haverhill Fire Department is receiving nearly $813,000 for firefighter breathing equipment, according to WHAV.

That Haverhill award was described as one of the largest awards in the state in this year's round of federal Assistance to Firefighters Grants, according to WHAV.

The WHAV report was published on September 27, 2026, according to WHAV.

FEMA said the money is part of $11.7 million distributed in Massachusetts in the award category, according to WHAV.

Grants are intended to be used to outfit responders with compliant personal protective equipment, acquire emergency response vehicles, and develop health, wellness and resiliency initiatives to prepare responders for incidents, according to WHAV.

Sources referenced