By Aaron Curtis
The Sun
DRACUT, Mass. — The Dracut Fire Department has been awarded $22,254 through the Massachusetts Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program, enabling the replacement of aging self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) units and supporting firefighter safety.
The funding is part of a broader $3 million statewide initiative aimed at equipping fire departments — including several other local departments — with essential resources to enhance emergency response capabilities and maintain compliance with safety standards.
Earlier this year, the Dracut Fire Department received $17,554 to replace SCBAs and acquire water and ice rescue equipment. The additional $4,742 secured in this latest round of funding, revealed in a recent press release from the Dracut Fire Department, will allow further upgrades to outdated SCBA units, ensuring firefighters are protected from hazardous smoke and gases.
Dracut Fire Chief Michael Cunha described SCBAs as “one of the most important pieces of equipment firefighters use.”
“They must function flawlessly,” Cunha said in the press release. “Equipment that is outdated or not properly maintained may fail when it’s most needed. Keeping SCBAs up to date ensures we are protecting our firefighters from toxic smoke, gases, and other harmful airborne particulates encountered during firefighting operations.”
Administered by the state Department of Fire Services, the grant program provides reimbursement for the purchase of 135 different types of eligible equipment, including hoses and nozzles, turnout gear, ballistic protective equipment, gear washers and dryers, thermal imaging cameras, hand tools and extrication equipment, communications resources, and hazardous gas meters. In many cases, the equipment will help departments attain compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration or National Fire Protection Association safety standards.
The Healey-Driscoll administration announced that the Dracut Fire Department is among the 300 departments statewide that will receive grants as part of the program. Below is a list of the other local departments and their grant totals for the second round of funding announced on April 5 :
- Acton : $5,385.62
- Ayer: $3,715.38
- Bedford : $3,645.24
- Burlington : $9,315
- Carlisle : $7,557.50
- Chelmsford : $12,150
- Dunstable : $2,226.67
- Littleton : $4,606.52
- Lowell : $2,178
- Shirley: $3,180.39
- Tewksbury : $4,740.39
- Townsend : $3,740.37
- Tyngsboro : $9,500
- Westford : $3,770.08
“Massachusetts firefighters do much more than fight fires — they’re our first line of defense in any emergency,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a press release from the Department of Fire Services . “These grants will help firefighters protect themselves from injury and illness, rescue people in danger, and keep our most vulnerable residents safe from fires and other hazards at home. We are proud to be able to support these vital first responders who never hesitate to answer a call for help.”
In addition to equipment upgrades, more than $1.6 million has been allocated for fire prevention education through the Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) and Senior SAFE Grant Programs. These programs focus on fire safety instruction for children and older adults, which are populations at a higher risk of fire-related injuries and fatalities.
The Department of Fire Services said since its inception in 1995, the SAFE program has contributed to a reduction in fire-related child deaths, while the Senior SAFE program, introduced in 2014, facilitates home safety assessments, alarm installations, and fall prevention strategies for older residents.
“People aged 65 and older are at greatest risk of death or serious injury in a fire at home,” State Fire Marshal Jon Davine said in the press release. “The Senior SAFE grants make a difference by sending trained firefighters to conduct home safety assessments, install or replace smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and help our seniors age in place safely and independently.”
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