Lynn, Saugus get grants for fighting fires

LYNN-Fire departments in Lynn and Saugus are in line to receive a regional grant of more than $130,000 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.The money is tapped from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, according to U.S. Rep. John F. Tierney, a Salem Democrat from the 6th Congressional District.The grant will be coordinated with fire departments in Malden and Melrose, located in the 7th Congressional District. The four communities will receive funds to update their communications equipment to operate on the UHF (Ultrahigh Frequency) band instead of the VHF (Very High Frequency) band, as they currently do.”The work that the Lynn and Saugus Fire Departments do for their communities is invaluable. These grants will go a long way toward helping them continue the effective job of protecting citizens and will improve their ability to coordinate with other fire departments and agencies in the Boston metro area,” Tierney said.The Lynn, Saugus, Malden and Melrose fire departments are all part of Metrofire, a group of 35 fire departments from communities in the Boston metropolitan area that serves 30 percent of the state’s population.Metrofire was established to coordinate mutual-aid response efforts and to improve the effectiveness of fire department services. Lynn, Saugus, Malden and Melrose were the only communities in Metrofire whose communications equipment was not operating on the UHF band, according to Tierney.”The tragic events of 9/11 demonstrated clearly this need for first responder communication interoperability,” said Acting Lynn Fire Chief James Carritte. “Operating on the UHF frequency will allow the fire departments of Lynn, Saugus, Malden and Melrose to directly communicate with one another at emergency incidents as well as communicate with other agencies in the metropolitan Boston and Essex County areas.”Since 2004, the AFG program has distributed $2.75 billion to fire departments and emergency medical service organizations throughout the country. AFG grants are intended to help first-responder organizations improve their response capabilities and ensure that response personnel are well-trained and well-equipped to handle a myriad of emergency situations. In fiscal year 2008, a total of over $560 million in Assistance to Firefighters Grants was handed out, Tierney said.