NAHANT — Fire Chief Austin Antrim announced on Wednesday that the Nahant Fire Department is one of over 300 fire departments across the state to be awarded a grant as part of the Department of Fire Services Fiscal Year 2023 Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program.
With the $11,442 grant they received, the Nahant Fire Department will purchase a new battery-operated positive pressure ventilation fan as well as vehicle stabilization struts and cribbing.
The program provides local fire departments with a range of equipment that makes the dangerous job of firefighting safer, according to the Baker-Polito administration. This is the third year that funding has been awarded for this purpose as part of a five-year, $25 million bond bill filed by the Baker-Polito administration to support firefighter safety and health in the coming years.
“We ask so much of our firefighters, and no matter how dangerous or difficult the situation, they always do whatever it takes to help,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “This program is an opportunity to make sure they are properly protected every time they answer a call for help.”
“The decision to become a firefighter is one of the bravest, most selfless choices a person can make,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “I am so thankful to the men and women who have dedicated themselves to this calling. In every city and town, these heroes drop what they’re doing and rush to help — even when it puts them in harm’s way.”
Fire departments in Massachusetts were able to apply to this program for 121 different types of eligible equipment, including ballistic protective clothing, thermal protective clothing, gear washers and dryers, thermal imaging cameras, assorted hand tools and extrication equipment, communications resources, hazardous gas meters, fitness equipment and more.
“Every time a firefighter goes to work, they could be asked to rescue a child from a burning building, clean up a spill of hazardous materials, treat a patient with a contagious medical condition or rush into a hostile event to rescue and treat victims,” said State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey. “This program is absolutely vital to helping fire departments prepare for the vast array of hazards they face today and making sure that firefighters go home safe after every call.”
