State Awards over $10,000 in Fire Safety Grants to WFD

Special to the Transcript

Last week, the Healey-Driscoll Administration announced that more than 300 Massachusetts fire departments will receive over $3 million dollars in grants to support safety equipment for firefighters and life safety education for kids and older adults.

Winthrop is set to receive $10,535 in those grants – $9,035 for the Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program and $1,500 for the SAFE Program.

“Massachusetts firefighters do much more than fight fires – they’re our first line of defense in any emergency,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These grants will help firefighters protect themselves from injury and illness, rescue people in danger, and keep our most vulnerable residents safe from fires and other hazards at home. We are proud to be able to support these vital first responders who never hesitate to answer a call for help.”

The awards are drawn from three grant programs coordinated by the Department of Fire Services.

The Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program reimburses local fire departments for purchases of turnout gear, hazardous gas meters, SCBA components, accountability systems, thermal imaging cameras, and more. This round of grants will provide $1.63 million in funding to fire departments in 266 communities. In many cases, the reimbursed purchases will help them attain compliance with Occupational Safety & Health Administration or National Fire Protection Association safety standards.

“Firefighters train tirelessly for every conceivable emergency so that they can be prepared to help those in need,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Through this program, we acknowledge that tremendous commitment by investing in the equipment they need to be safe in any situation.”

The Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) Grant Program funds firefighter-educators who deliver age-appropriate fire and life safety education to school-age children. 

Since the grants’ inception in 1995, the number of Massachusetts children who die in fires has dropped to historically low levels, from two dozen or more per year to zero for nearly three consecutive years.

“For 30 years, the SAFE grants have delivered life-saving lessons to Massachusetts’ kids and teens through our local firefighters,” said Secretary of Public Safety and Security Terrence Reidy. “This is just one of the powerful local-state partnerships that make Massachusetts one of the safest places in the nation to live, work, and raise a family.”