Firefighters try out the new self-contained breathing apparatus units.
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Volunteer Fire Department has has been able to purchase new gear thanks to a $117,000 federal grant.
The department was notified Oct. 7 that it had been awarded the grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Fire Fighters Program.
The grant paid for 18 new self-contained breathing apparatus units, or SCBA. The new Scott Pro III air packs will replace the 14-year-old units now in service.
Deputy Chief Cody Sanderson researched the numerous companies that manufacture SCBA equipment before deciding to purchase the Scott Pro III. Each new SCBA unit, which consist of the harness, air bottle, regulator and face mask, is lighter, more compact and will provide the latest technology in safety features.
Used on the fireground for entering a burning building, or any time firefighters are exposed to hazardous conditions, the SCBA units will provide state-of-the-art protection to Lanesborough firefighters.
The FEMA grant required a 5 percent match from the town of Lanesborough. The $5,850 in matching funds were voted at the annual town meeting last June. The remaining $111,150 was provided by the federal grant. The cost of each SCBA unit is $6,500. So for less than the cost of one unit, the Fire Department and the town received 18 new SCBA units.
Firefighters began set up and training with the new equipment this week, and expect the units to be in service by the beginning of the new year.
The firefighters received assistance in writing the grant proposal from A.J. Jusino, president of Emergency Response Consultant Group, and town resident Neil Myers. The members of the Lanesborough Volunteer Fire Department would like to thank ERCG, Myers, Town Manager Kelli Robbins, the town Finance Committee, the Board of Selectmen and most importantly, the townspeople of Lanesborough for their support.
This report was submitted by P.J. Pannesco, treasurer for the Lanesborough Volunteer Fire Department.
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Berkshire Wind Power Cooperative Corporation Scholarships
LUDLOW, Mass. — For the third year, Berkshire Wind Power Cooperative Corporation (BWPCC) will award scholarships to students from Lanesborough and Hancock.
The scholarship is open to seniors at Mount Greylock Regional High School and Charles H. McCann Technical School. BWPCC will select two students from the class of 2024 to receive $1,000 scholarships.
The scholarships will be awarded to qualifying seniors who are planning to attend either a two- or four-year college or trade school program. Seniors must be from either Hancock or Lanesborough to be considered for the scholarship. Special consideration will be given to students with financial need, but all students are encouraged to apply.
The BWPCC owns and operates the Berkshire Wind Power Project, a 12 turbine, 19.6-megawatt wind farm located on Brodie Mountain in Hancock and Lanesborough. The non-profit BWPCC consists of 16 municipal utilities located in Ashburnham, Boylston, Chicopee, Groton, Holden, Hull, Ipswich, Marblehead, Paxton, Peabody, Russell, Shrewsbury, Sterling, Templeton, Wakefield, and West Boylston, and their joint action agency, the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC).
To be considered, students must submit all required documents including a letter of recommendation from their school counselor and a letter detailing their educational and professional goals. Application and submission details will be shared with students via their school counselors. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 19.
MMWEC is a not-for-profit, public corporation and political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts created by an Act of the General Court in 1975 and authorized to issue tax-exempt debt to finance a wide range of energy facilities. MMWEC provides a variety of power supply, financial, risk management and other services to the state's consumer-owned, municipal utilities.
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