Police, fire departments in Phoenix area awarded over $250K in grants

PHOENIX — A state agency that focuses on highway safety has awarded first responders in two Phoenix suburbs over a quarter-million dollars in grants to buy equipment and expand traffic programs.

The Surprise Police Department recently was allocated $215,500 in grants, while Buckeye Fire and Medical Rescue received $38,000 from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

Sgt. Tim Klarkowski said the Surprise department planned to spend the money on three DUI-related programs, including the West Valley DUI Task Force, bike and pedestrian safety enforcement, and bicycle rodeos for kids.

Buckeye will use its grants to buy battery-operated extraction equipment, replacing heavier, eight-year-old tools used to pry open damaged vehicles at accident scenes.

The department said the new equipment was quieter then previous tools, which will improve communicating with accident victims.

Buckeye Fire said in email its crews responded to more than 7,600 calls in 2017; car crashes topped 400.

The crews also assist other cities’ emergencies along Interstate 10 and Loop 303.

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