GLOUCESTER — Chief Eric Smith is pleased to announce that the Gloucester Fire Department is one of more than 300 fire departments across the state to have been awarded a grant as part of the Department of Fire Services Fiscal Year 2022 Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program.
The $10,244.79 grant awarded to the Gloucester Fire Department will be used to purchase an inflatable raft that can be deployed into any body of water to assist in water and ice rescues.
This program enables fire departments to purchase a variety of equipment that will make firefighters’ jobs safer. This is the second year that funding has been awarded for this purpose as part of a $25 million bond bill filed by the Baker-Polito Administration to support firefighter safety and health in the coming years.
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.
A complete list of the awards by department can be found here.
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