MARYSVILLE — The Marysville Fire District’s Shoutles Station 62 was the site of good news for local firefighters Feb. 25, as Federal Emergency Management Agency officials arrived to announce that Marysville Fire had been approved for more than $200,000 in grants from FEMA.

Dolph Diemont, federal coordinating officer for FEMA, presented an oversized check for $208,558 to Marysville Fire Chief Greg Corn and Fire Capt. Dean Shelton for an Assistance to Firefighters Grant, intended to enhance firefighters’ operations and well-being.

“Since 2001, after 9/11, the purpose of the AFG has been to provide for the safety and health of not only firefighters, but also the public they protect,” Diemont said. “Fire departments can directly apply these funds toward the tools and training they need to do their jobs.”

Diemont emphasized that the AFG is a competitive grant, especially since the current economy has limited the funds available, and elaborated that grant applications are evaluated through a process of peer review from fellow firefighters. He congratulated Shelton, who wrote the grant application, for managing to navigate what Diemont admitted is a “difficult, detailed process.” Diemont expanded his praise to include the Marysville Fire District as a whole, for being able to raise funds for the 20 percent of cost-sharing required by the grant, since the AFG supplies 80 percent of the funds that will go toward Marysville Fire’s program.

“The writing and research almost has to be perfect for this, so you really know how to put together a package,” Diemont told the Marysville firefighters. “Of course, you’ve been through the peer review process yourselves, on the other end, so you know how that works.”

Corn explained that the AFG will furnish the Marysville Fire District with modern, state-of-the-art equipment, compliant with current safety regulations and requirements, which includes funding for the purchase of 46 Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus packs.

“The project incorporates extra bottles, voice amplifier masks and four Rapid Intervention Team pack assemblies, which will greatly enhance our effectiveness in battling fires and saving lives, while providing extra protection for our firefighters,” said Corn, who expressed gratitude to FEMA, on behalf of the entire Marysville Fire District, and echoed Diemont’s sentiments attributing the SCBA grant application’s success to Shelton’s authorship.

Diemont noted that the average AFG amount is approximately $90,000, before pointing out that both the SCBA grant and the 2003 communications upgrade grant that the Marysville Fire District received far exceeded that average amount.

“I credit that to this district’s diligence,” Diemont said.

The Marysville Fire District covers approximately 54 square miles, and includes the city of Marysville, portions of the city of Arlington and unincorporated areas of the Tulalip Indian Reservation, Seven Lakes, Smokey Point and Lakewood. Marysville Fire operates out of five fire stations, with a staff of about 100 personnel.

“Our nation’s firefighters are the first responders into almost every emergency,” said FEMA Acting Regional Administrator Dennis Hunsinger. “The AFG program represents a major effort by the federal government to ensure that firefighters have the basic capability they need to do their jobs, improve safety and save lives.”