Over 300 local fire departments have been awarded grant funding to purchase new safety and communication equipment through the Healey-Driscoll Administration, the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, and the Department of Fire Services. That includes Lynn, Lynnfield, Marblehead, Nahant, Saugus, and Swampscott.
This marks a major win for fire departments amidst health and safety concerns from the risk imposed by exposure to PFAs, which are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances also known as “forever chemicals, that could cause cancer. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) states that fabrics containing PFAS are typically used in firefighting gear because of their ability to repel water.
The funding will allow departments to purchase new turnout gear, communication equipment, and other safety equipment to ensure that they comply with standards set by both the National Fire Protection Association and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Lynn will receive $49,999; Lynnfield will receive $19,000; Swampscott will receive $18,850; Marblehead will receive $17,230; Saugus will receive $12,972.35; and Nahant will receive $12,499.
“This grant funding is vital to ensuring our firefighters have access to updated, safe gear as they face some of the most challenging conditions in service to our community,” said State Rep. Sean Reid.
In Nahant, Fire Chief Austin Antrim recently addressed the concern for new equipment just last month in a presentation he gave to the Board of Selectmen. In it, he raised concerns about their staffing shortages, as well as the “snowball effect” of full-time personnel getting injured and sick.
“This slide is a little challenging for me to talk about,” Antrim said while also adding: “…A number of studies have identified that firefighters are at a far greater risk of cancer due to the occupation, and part of that is from the personal protective equipment that firefighters wear when they’re fighting fires.”
In 2024, Massachusetts and Connecticut became the first states to ban the use of PFAs in protective gear, and yet, as Antrim stated, the challenge is creating PFA-free gear that will continue to last.
With the new funding, towns in the North Shore, including Nahant, will be able to provide better resources to their staff, and yet, as Antrim also noted, there is still the matter of whether manufacturers will be able to make quality, PFA-free equipment gear that can last as long as the current equipment does.
“They’ve been having a lot of difficulty with that new gear lasting. Initially, they said it would only last five years whereas the current gear lasts 10 years,” he said. “It’s something we’re going to need to consider next year, because a large portion of our gear will be reaching 10 years of age and will no longer be able to be used.”
