Shenandoah County supervisors voted unanimously in October to accept a $996,363 Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) grant and a $3.44 million Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant. New statewide figures released Thursday by U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine show both awards rank among the largest issued in Virginia this year.

Shenandoah County’s AFG award, dedicated to replacing the county’s aging self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) equipment, is not only the largest AFG grant awarded to any Virginia locality, but accounts for 26% of all AFG funding distributed statewide. Virginia received $3.83 million in AFG funds this fiscal year, meaning more than one-quarter of the state’s entire equipment allocation is coming to Shenandoah County alone. By comparison

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