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Patterson Fire Department Awarded FEMA Grant to Support EMT/Paramedic Training

New partnership with First Lady Permanente LLC to assist with training

PATTERSON, CA – November 4, 2025 – The Patterson Fire Department is excited to announce that it has been awarded an Assistance to Firefighters Grants program grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist the department in covering costs of paramedic training for department personnel.  This funding will help the department strengthen its emergency medical response and ensure the Patterson community continues to receive high-quality emergency response services.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program is a federally funded program offered by FEMA to help address the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and non-affiliated emergency response medical service organizations in the nation.  The AFG grant, totaling $208,974.54, provides the department with 90% of total costs of training, travel reimbursement, and reimbursement for overtime expenses for backfill for shift coverage for at least two department personnel.   

“Public safety is a top priority for Patterson,” explained Jeff Frye, Fire Chief, Patterson Fire Department.  “This funding will help the department continue to provide licensed and accredited paramedics on medical emergency calls our department responds to.”  

To facilitate paramedic training, the department has partnered with First Lady Permanente LLC, a Private Post-secondary Institution in Turlock, California.  The institution is an American Heart Association-certified training center and has since grown into an established institution offering a variety of healthcare certificate programs.  The launch of this paramedic program marks a historic milestone for both organizations and the community – made possible through our consortium partnership with First Lady Permanente, LLC.  Through this partnership, department personnel will have the opportunity to pursue paramedic training and access other educational resources needed to qualify for EMT/paramedics licensing and accreditation.

The Patterson Fire Department remains committed to investing in its personnel and advancing emergency services through innovation and professional development.  The AFG program grant and partnership with First Lady Permanente LLC represent significant steps towards strengthening the department’s emergency medical response.

For any further media inquiries, please contact Victoria Castro, Public Information Officer, at vcastro@pattersonca.gov or 209-895-8009.

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