LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday announced that more than 60 Michigan communities will soon begin receiving awards from the $5 million First Responder Training and Grant Program.

Upper Peninsula counties awarded grants were Chippewa County, $78,939; Delta County, $170,000; Iron County, $17,583; Keweenaw County, $82,172; Menominee County, $143,908.40; and Ontonagon County, $100,000; Marquette County, $98,784; and Alger County, $46,651.

U.P. municipalities awarded grants were the city of Houghton, $141,200; the city of Iron River, $36,409; the city of Ironwood, $47,500; the city of Manistique, $29,125; the village of Laurium, $74,587.81; and the village of Baraga, $96,980.

“Michigan’s first responders put their lives on the line to keep us all safe and we must have their backs,” Whitmer said in a statement. “Today’s grants will help more than 60 communities across Michigan train and recruit first responders. And in my budget for next fiscal year, I’ve proposed additional funds to help communities hire and train even more first responders, including firefighters, police officers, paramedics and EMTs. Let’s keep working together to keep Michiganders safe.”

To learn more about the First Responder Training and Recruitment Grant Program, go to Michigan.gov/FRG.

As a part of the First Responder Training and Recruitment Grant Program, all Michigan cities, villages, townships, counties and fire authorities were eligible to apply for a grant related to first responder training and recruitment. First responders are police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics and local unit of government corrections officers.

The grant program supports efforts of local governments to expand recruitment, improve training and provide additional professional development and support to first responders in local governments.