Firefighters stood to lose grant to ACORN

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By Audrey Hudson

"I have no problem with not getting a grant, I've lost grants before," said Chief Flynn, one of the fire officials who complained to Mr. Vitter in a letter.

"My issue is ACORN in New Orleans. Their mission statement says nothing about fire safety or fire prevention. It bothered me that ACORN got $1 million and there are so many smaller and bigger departments that have a need for that money."

The Monroe Fire Department was the only squad in Louisiana to receive a grant and will be awarded $192,000. The Louisiana State Fire Marshal's Office will receive $62,000.

ACORN received $997,402, slightly less than the maximum allowable grant of $1 million. A total of $35 million was available for the grants project to fire districts across the country this year.

"Several Louisiana fire departments have voiced their serious concerns to me over the award of these funds to ACORN," Mr. Vitter said in the letter.

"We can all understand that there are never enough funds to allocate for all the deserving requests of fire departments, and each year there are many more requests than funds available," he wrote. "But when so many fire departments throughout the nation are struggling for funding for important and lifesaving projects, how is it that a non-fire department with no clear expertise in fire safety and prevention is given such a large award for fire safety?"

"These firefighters that put their lives on the line for the safety of their communities deserve a full explanation of this award," Mr. Vitter said.

The money, formally awarded for fiscal year 2008, was given to the ACORN Institute, which bills itself as a research and training facility "to combat the poverty, discrimination and community deterioration that keeps low-income people from taking advantage of their rights and opportunities."

This is the second year ACORN has been awarded the fire prevention and safety grant. In the 2007 fiscal year, ACORN received $450,484 out of Louisiana's $859,596 share.

Matthew Chandler, Homeland Security spokesman, said Ms. Napolitano will respond directly to Mr. Vitter.