federal spending cuts could potentially trickle down to New Jersey's Emergency Services which have been struggling to find new recruits and volunteers since the pandemic particularly at the state's fire departments they've leaned heavily on cash infusions made available in recent years from the federal American Rescue plan well today Governor Murphy federal and state leaders gathered to announce a new round of federal money senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan reports firefighters confront not just heat and Flames when they rush into battle a blazing building often these fires emit choking smoke and particulate matter laced with cancer-causing contaminants the CDC reports cancers the leading cause of death among firefighters so they welcome Governor Murphy's announcement of 10 million dollars in Grants to help New Jersey departments buy expensive protective equipment sophisticated 21st century Gear helmets PPE stuff that detoxens uniforms when they're washed and after an event takes the carcin out so really important that's a big deal because it's those harmful toxins that are tragically giving firefighters disproportionate rates of cancer the particulate hoods they actually cost a lot of money so we want to think that that keeps the cancer off so that's one of the things that this grant program helps us assistant chief Vince Torrey at Paramus Fire Company 3 says it the money will also help pay for firefighters individual breathing apparatus equipped with GPS trackers the money is part of federal American Rescue plan funds says Congressman Josh gottheimer and will help the ongoing fight against cancer the CDC officially launched the national firefighter registry for cancer which we talked about which the program would track incidents of cancer among firefighters to better understand where they're coming from and give departments more information cancer recounted for 74 percent of line of duty deaths last year according to the International Association of firefighters the national Registries open to all firefighters whether or not they've been diagnosed with cancer for many here the issue felt very personal as their colleague Bobby Allen of Patterson a past president of the firefighters Mutual benevolent Association is battling the disease we're all thinking about him and I know he's undergoing surgery today if you can give our our love and our thoughts and prayers godheimer noted this money the second 10 million dollar firefighters Grant relieves towns from having to front thousands of tax dollars to buy equipment making sure that we commit what the resources that the firefighters need is really what this is all about the money will get divvied up across New Jersey last year some 300 fire departments benefited from ARP funds it fired fighters from across Bergen County received more than a million dollars the bulk of that went toward replacing critically needed safety equipment and just like last year we're going to prioritize volunteer departments and the Departments and communities that were hit hardest by the pandemic Murphy recalled the early months of the pandemic when EMS and firefighters rushed to help patients even though no one was sure how the covid-19 virus spread detoxing biohazards became a vital part of safety protocols although it was often jury rigged now it's something departments can purchase I live just six blocks away from here so if I pick up the phone and call 9-1-1 God forbid they're coming from here right so you know this is this is very personal to me Fire Company 3 started as a Bucket Brigade it celebrated its 100th birthday last year getting a piece of this grant is another present in Paramus I'm Brenda Flanagan NJ Spotlight news [Music]