STOW—The Baker-Polito Administration announced $5 million in grant awards to 308 fire departments from the FY23 Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program.

 

In Berkshire County Adams, Dalton, Great Barrington, Lanesborough, Lee, Lenox, New Ashford, New Marlborough, North Adams, Peru, Pittsfield, Richmond, Sheffield, Stockbridge, and Williamstown all received grants.

 

"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 program provides local fire departments with a variety of equipment that makes the dangerous job of firefighting safer. 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 Administration to support firefighter safety and health in the coming years.

 

Below are the grant amounts awarded to Berkshire County fire departments:

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. In many cases, the purchase of this equipment will help departments attain compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration or National Fire Protection Association safety standards.