The Albert Lea Fire Department has been selected to receive a $1 million federal grant for purchasing new emergency communications equipment, U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, along with U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, announced Thursday.

The Assistance to Firefighters grant comes as emergency responders across the country are upgrading equipment to ensure interoperability between departments and across broad geographic areas.

It is part of a program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.

“Fire departments and first responders are critical to the safety and security of our communities,” Klobuchar said in a news release. “This grant will provide our emergency personnel with the tools and technology they need to ensure Minnesota families are safe.”

According to the release, the Department of Homeland Security is awarding $565 million directly to fire departments and emergency service organizations across the country for grant applications entered in fiscal year 2009. The grants aim to help departments more effectively protect the health and safety of the public and emergency personnel.

“At a time when cities across Minnesota are struggling to provide basic services, our first responders remain critically important,” Franken said. “These federal funds will give Minnesota’s firefighters the technology they need to keep our communities safe.”

Walz said during the June 17 tornadoes that struck Minnesota, some emergency responders told him that due to the weather, their older radios went down for periods of time, causing them to respond more slowly to the damage caused by the storms.

“Those communities that had already upgraded were able to function without disruption because of the advancements in technology,” he said. “This grant will help Albert Lea transition to the new system so that should the worst ever happen, emergency responders are able to get to folks as quickly as possible.”

Albert Lea Fire Department Capt. Mark Roche said the city’s current system doesn’t interoperate with the rest of the county.

“This grant will allow us to tie in with the other 16 fire departmments throughout the county,” Roche said. “If we could have had this system in place on June 17 when the tornadoes rolled through here, we could have avoided a lot of uncertainty and anxiety. It is a huge safety issue when you can’t communicate across the county with various emergency personnel.”