STOW — The fire departments for each community in the Norfolk & Plymouth District recently received a combined $118,847 in funds through the state’s Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program, which will be used to purchase a variety of equipment intended to make the jobs of firefighters safer.
“Best practices for firefighter safety are constantly evolving as technology advances and our understanding of the short- and long-term health impacts of the work improves,” said State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey. “This program is so important to help fire departments modernize their equipment and get firefighters the protection they need. The long-term health outcomes realized from these grant awards will have a truly immeasurable benefit.”
Fire departments in Massachusetts were able to apply to this program for 118 different types of eligible equipment, including personal protective clothing, gear washers and dryers, thermal imaging cameras, assorted hand tools and extrication equipment, communications resources, hazardous gas meters, fitness equipment, and more. In many cases, the purchase of this equipment will help departments attain compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration or National Fire Protection Association safety standards.
Appropriations for local fire departments are as follows:
- Abington – $18,860
- Braintree – $25,000
- Holbrook – $6,000
- Quincy – $49,987
- Rockland – $19,000
“The toll that occupational cancer has taken on the fire service is unfortunately immense,” said Secretary of Public Safety and Security Terrence Reidy. “We often see and hear about heroic rescues in the face of obvious and overwhelming danger, but the risks firefighters face go well beyond those events. I am thrilled that we can provide so many fire departments with this funding for equipment that will reduce firefighters’ long-term exposure to the cancer-causing materials they encounter every day at work.”
State Senator John F. Keenan 