FEMA Grants Adams $800K For New Fire Truck

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The Adams Fire Department has been awarded an $800,000 grant to replace its 30-year-old ladder truck.
ADAMS, Mass. — The Fire Department should have a new ladder truck next year thanks to a $809,524 federal grant.
 
The Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded the money to buy through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. 
 
"The Adams Fire Department is thrilled that we have received this amazing grant award," Fire Chief Paul Goyette said. "The upgrade to our fleet, will allow us to continue to provide protection of life and property in the town of Adams."
 
The grant was written by Assistant Chief David Lennon and the money will be used to replace the department's 1987 ladder truck.
 
"Our firefighters work tirelessly to keep our families safe, and it's up to us to make sure they have the equipment they need to do their jobs safely and effectively," U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said in a statement on Friday. "Chief [Paul] Goyette and the Adams Fire Department deserve credit for their efforts to get this grant and for their work protecting the community day in and day out."
 
Warren's office announced the award along with U.S. Sen. Edward Markey and U.S. Rep. Richard Neal. 
 
"Thanks to this important funding, the Adams Fire Department will be able to reach even higher in their efforts to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies," Markey wrote. "These first responders are on the front lines everyday, and we need to make sure they have the tools they need to do their jobs as best they can. I commend Chief Goyette and the entire Adams Fire Department for their efforts securing this funding that will help keep our neighborhoods safe and more secure."
 
The grant program is designed to help local fire departments purchase needed to protect the firefighters from hazards.
 
Adams is a volunteer fire department. Smaller towns tend to have difficulty funding the purchase of new trucks. Both North Adams and Cheshire received grants last to purchase new engines.
 
"The brave men and women of the Adams Fire Department put their lives at risk each day keeping their town safe. That is why I believe they deserve the resources necessary to do their jobs professionally and effectively. This federal grant will help them purchase a new ladder truck which will continue to keep the community safe from fire hazards. It's great news for the town of Adams," Neal wrote.
 
Goyette said it will take about a year to build a new truck. The department will research vendors before selecting one to place an order.

Tags: federal grants,   fire engine,   

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Adams Sees No Races So Far

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — With less than a week left before nomination papers are due, there are currently no contested seats.
 
Only selectman incumbent John Duval has returned papers. Selectman Howard Rosenberg has decided not to seek re-election. 
 
Rosenberg, who was elected in 2021, said he has chosen not to run again to make room for younger candidates.
 
"I feel strongly, we need younger people running for public office,  as the future of our town lies within the younger  generation. The world is so fundamentally different today and rapidly changing to become even more so. I believe we need people who are less interested in trying to bring back the past, then in paving the way for a promising future. The younger generation can know that they can stay here and have a voice without having to leave for opportunities elsewhere," he said.
 
The only person to return papers so far is former member the board Donald Sommer. Sommer served as a selectman from 2007 to 2010 and before that was a member of the School Committee and the Redevelopment Authority. He ran unsuccessfully for selectman in 2019 and again in 2021 but dropped out of before the election.
 
Incumbent Moderator Myra Wilk and Town Clerk Haley Meczywor have returned papers for their respective positions.
 
Assessor Paula Wheeler has returned papers and incumbents James Loughman and Eugene Michalenko have returned papers for library trustees.
 
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