EL DORADO, KS — U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt announced that the El Dorado Fire Department will receive a $225,000 federal grant through the Department of Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters grant program, according to the El Dorado Times newspaper. The funds will be used to purchase a pumper-tanker vehicle for the fire department. El Dorado City Manager Gus Collins said the grant will pay the bulk of the cost involved in acquiring a $275,000 truck for the fire department. Collins explained that the city had applied unsuccessfully for three years to obtain grant funding for the new pumper-tanker. Grant awards are administered by the Department of Homeland Security's Office for Domestic Preparedness in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration. The awards help local fire departments fund the purchase of firefighting equipment and firefighter health and safety programs. They are also used to enhance emergency medical service programs and conduct fire education and prevention programs.