SWANSEA —Chief Eric Hajder is pleased to announce that the Swansea Fire Department is one of nearly 300 fire departments across the state to have been awarded a grant as part of the Department of Fire Services Fiscal Year 2021 Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program.
The $14,820 grant awarded to the Swansea Fire Department will be used to purchase two Rapid Intervention Emergency Air Supply packs (RIT-Pak) that are used as supplemental air supply for firefighters that are injured, lost or trapped.
“We are grateful to have been awarded this grant, and would like to thank the Baker-Polito Administration and the Department of Fire Services for their continued support,” Chief Hajder said. “Grants such as this one provide us with the opportunity to use state funds to purchase safety equipment for our department, which in turn benefits our community.”
This program enables fire departments to purchase a variety of equipment that will make firefighters’ jobs safer. The $4 million awarded to departments statewide is part of a $25 million bond bill filed by the Baker-Polito Administration to support firefighter health and safety over the next five years.
Fire departments in Massachusetts were able to apply to this program for 114 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.
“Investing in the short-term and long-term health and safety of firefighters has been a hallmark of the Baker-Polito Administration,” said State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey. “I am grateful that we are able to continue supporting this initiative and make sure that firefighters not only go home safe at the end of every shift, but also that they maintain their health during and after their careers. This funding couldn’t come at a better time either. With the financial challenges that COVID-19 has brought to so many Massachusetts municipalities, this grant funding will mitigate critical budget gaps in many departments.”
A complete list of the awards by department can be found here.
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