From press release

The Georgia Municipal Association is proud to announce that the City of Cedartown received a Safety Grant check in the amount of $2,088.53

The funds received from GMA’s Safety and Liability Grant Program were used to purchase special uniforms for the Cedartown Fire Department. All of the department’s 18 firefighters now own two sets of Nomex clothing that provides an extra layer of fire protection.

According to Cedartown Assistant Fire Chief Scott Jackson, the material used for the uniforms is classified as flame-resistant. These uniforms are worn underneath the department’s turnout gear, providing firefighters with an additional barrier against heat and flames. Previously, firefighters wore uniforms made from heavy cotton.

“In addition to providing extra safety, this material actually holds up much better than just the regular cotton uniforms.” Jackson said. “They last three times as long and it saves us money in the long run.”

The GMA Safety and Liability Grant Program was introduced in 2000 to provide a financial incentive to assist GMA members in improving employee safety and general public liability loss control efforts through training and the purchase of equipment or services.

Since the inception of the program, over 130 cities have received grant money through the program, over 500 grants were approved totaling $1.5 million to fund items such as bulletproof vests, training videos, confined space entry equipment, reflective safety vests, fire department turnout gear and police department in-vehicle video systems. These grant funds have helped leverage the purchase of over $2.6 million in this type of equipment and training.

The Safety and Liability Grant Program is made available to members of GMA’s property and liability insurance program (the Georgia Interlocal Risk Management Agency) and GMA’s workers’ compensation insurance program.