Dalton Board of Health Establishes Cooling Assistance Program

Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
12:25PM / Thursday, July 16, 2026Print Story | Email Story

DALTON, Mass. — With summer upon us and many hot days, the Board of Health has established a cooling assistance program to help vulnerable residents.

Using approximately $650 from the Board of Health fiscal year 2026 budget, the board purchased five fans and two air conditioners to be distributed to heat sensitive community members.

Additionally, resident Daniel Filiault has offered to donate two used air conditioners, said board member James "Jimbo" Doucette.

The application says, "applications will begin to be reviewed July 7, 2026, and will continue to be reviewed until all units are given away." As of publication the town has not received any applicants. Find an application here.

"I would like to get them out as soon as we can to help people deal with the heat," board Chair Nancy Hopper said at the meeting on Tuesday.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heat-sensitive community members are those who are at higher risk of getting sick from the heat including people over 65, infants and children, pregnant people and those with chronic conditions such as, asthma, heart condition.

When your body gets too hot, it can lead to heat-related illness. Recognize the warning signs and seek medical attention if you believe your body is overheating.

The symptoms include:

Muscle cramping
Unusually heavy sweating
Shortness of breath
Dizziness
Headaches
Weakness
Nausea

The center advises people to stay indoors when it's hot outside to protect themselves and stay hydrated. During cases of extreme heat above 90 degrees, do not use fans as they can increase body temperature.

Use air conditioning or find a location that has one by dialing 211, visiting the National Center for Healthy Housing's Cooling Centers or your local health department or emergency management agency.

The town's cooling assistance program is inspired by Berkshire Regional Planning Commission's AC Distribution Program which the town participated in 2024.

When the town participated it received the same number of applicants as it did units, Hopper said.

Tags: cooling center, heat advisory,

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Free Vaccinations Available Throughout Berkshire County

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
10:30AM / Saturday, October 10, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Fall season is also the flu season, which means vaccine clinics are now available.

The Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative will provide public vaccination clinics in Berkshire communities this fall, including the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. There are about 49 clinics.

The collaborative began during COVID-19 to help vaccinate people across Berkshire County. Berkshire Health Systems started the Get Vaccinated Berkshires website and still manages it. The group works with the Pittsfield Public Health Department, Community Health Programs, and the Southern Berkshire Public Health Collaborative.

"The majority of people will always get the flu [vaccine] because, as I said, if you've ever gotten the flu, you will always get a flu vaccine because it's so bad. And just so you know, the flu is already in Berkshire County. It's an early season this year," said Leslie Drager, who is the senior public health nurse at Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.

Drager said last year they issued 2,705 vaccines, with more than 1,100 of them being for COVID-19 and more than 1,500 being flu. In total, they were able to vaccinate 1,669 people in Central and North County, in addition to Pittsfield.

Drager also said she will be carrying three types of COVID vaccines this year, which is in high demand.

"We have a high demand of COVID vaccine, which is awesome," she said. "So we're doing a lot of COVID vaccines. Also, I provide Pfizer, and this year I have Moderna and the Novavax, which I think is real important to get out there because the Novavax, a lot of people want, people with long COVID. So I'm carrying all three vaccines this year, which I normally only carry the Pfizer."

Public health departments also can help people access other vaccines such as for measles or meningitis when they cannot get them through a pediatrician, she added.

Using the website, people are able to get vaccines even if they are homebound by filling out a form.

All public Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative clinics are free of charge, but registrants are asked to provide insurance information, when available, in order to defray costs. The clinics are open to anyone 6 months of age or older, the age group recommended to receive an annual flu vaccine and the latest COVID-19 vaccine.

"I always encourage everybody to wear a short sleeve shirt because it makes it a heck of a lot easier to get at," Drager said. "And children, we do carry the nasal flu, the live virus of nasal flu for kids that are afraid to get needles."

Registration is highly recommended for the clinics. Walk-ins may be accepted depending on the number of vaccine doses available at each clinic, with preference given to those who are registered.

"It's really important. I'm really encouraging vaccinations for the schools, because not only you know if the kids are vaccinated and the teachers are vaccinated, the schools won't have the flu go wild right through it," Drager said. "And of course, the best way to prevent infections: washing your hands. So don't touch your face, and wash your hands."

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