Lynnfield Fire Dept. receives grant

LYNNFIELD – The Lynnfield Fire Department was awarded an Assistance to Firefighters Grant from the federal government last week.The grant totaled approximately $118,000; however, since the town is forced to cover five percent of the award by law, the fire department will ultimately receive $113,050.Fire Captain Michael Feinberg said the money will be used to install a vehicle exhaust capturing system at both stations. Similar to how a vacuum works, the system connects to the exhaust pipe of the vehicle, captures the exhaust, and removes it to the outside of the building, making room for cleaner, less harmful air.Feinberg said that such a purchase is necessary to improve the health of department employees and visitors.”We do many things here at the station,” said Feinberg. “We have child car seat inspections, training classes for CPR that are open to public. We want to protect our visitors as much as ourselves.”Although some of the older vehicles are already equipped with exhaust filtering mechanisms, Feinberg said that they don’t eliminate all threats, such as gas. Furthermore, newer models do not feature such equipment and would benefit greatly from a new system, Feinberg said.Lynnfield won’t actually see the funds until the department is ready to purchase the system. The project is currently out to bid, but once that’s complete, Feinberg said they’ll be ready to go.Similar grants were awarded to fire departments across the nation to enhance response capabilities and protect the health and safety of the public through training, programs, and purchasing new equipment. After all is said and done, the federal government will have dispersed nearly $490 million over the fiscal year.”Without the support of the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, and our elected officials, the acquisition of this equipment, which is so vital to the health and safety of our firefighters, would not be possible,” Fire Chief Paul Romano said.