NORWALK -- The International Association of Firefighters Local 830 is thanking four of its members for landing the Norwalk Fire Department more than $200,000 in federal grants to train and outfit firefighters. "Norwalk Firefighters Local 830 would like to acknowledge and thank the members of the Norwalk Fire Department's grants committee. Lt. Edward McCabe, Firefighter Adam Markowitz, Firefighter Michael Sniffen and Inspector Kenneth Hall have successfully written, for the second year in a row, an Assistance to Firefighters Grant for training and equipment for the Norwalk Fire Department," said Capt. Edward Prescott, Local 830 spokesman. "This year's grant, totaling over $59,000, brings their two-year total to over $225,000 in acquired funds for the department," Prescott said. Prescott said the money has allowed the department to outfit firefighters with state-of-the-art protective pants and jackets, voice amplifiers, portable radios, thermal-imaging cameras, airpacks to help aid downed firefighters, and also paid for specialized training in both firefighter and self rescue. In addition, the grants have funded the city's fire prevention program, which has given 1,000 smoke detectors to residents in need, along with fire prevention paraphernalia schools, Prescott said. "These grants will not only make our job safer, but also allow us to provide a better more efficient service, to those we protect," Prescott said. Prescott credits McCabe, Markowitz, Sniffen and Hall , president of Local 830, for applying for the grants and ensuring that the city got them. Local 830, whose members recently rejected a four-year tentative agreement with the city, alleges that the Knopp administration has not done its share to secure grants. "It was discovered that the city never sought reimbursement for $112,000 from the 2004 Assistance to Firefighters Grant, as well as an additional $17,000 from the 2004 Fire Prevention Grant, for a total of $130,000," Prescott said. "These firefighters took it upon themselves to not only file the necessary paperwork to get the money that was owed to the city, but also successfully file for an extension for the Fire Prevention Grant, which was two days from closing." Markowitz said the department's grants committee applied in April 2004 for $211,776 through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Last December, as part of the 2004 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, the agency approved $148,243 -- the federal government last year funded the program at 70 percent. Markowitz said the department, using city dollars, had purchased the bulk of the safety equipment by May 2005, as it waited for the city to sign off paperwork for FEMA to reimburse the department. "We're fortunate to be awarded the grant, but the city and (fire) department have to find a better way to manage grants," said Markowitz, who estimated that the department's grants committee spent up to 80 hours over the last two years applying for and following through on the grants. The grants committee applied for $74,804 as part of the 2005 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. On Sept. 23, the federal government awarded $59,844. Markowitz said the federal government this year is funding the program at 80 percent.