Chief Timothy Bradshaw is pleased to announce that the Taunton Fire Department is one of over 300 fire departments across the state to have been awarded a grant as part of the Department of Fire Services Fiscal Year 2022 Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program.
The $32,000 grant awarded to the Taunton Fire Department will be used to purchase: two Blowhard battery-powered positive pressure fans, two battery-powered K-12 saws, two battery-powered 16-inch chain saws, six Stihl Quick cut battery-powered saws with diamond wheel blades, and one Holmatro battery-powered combo quick extrication tool which will be placed on their busiest engine company. All tools will come with spare batteries and be set up to be self-changing in all of their apparatus.
This program enables fire departments to purchase a variety of equipment that will make firefighters’ jobs safer. This is the second year that funding has been awarded for this purpose as part of a $25 million bond bill filed by the Baker-Polito Administration to support firefighter safety and health in the coming years.
Fire departments in Massachusetts were able to apply to this program for 118 different types of eligible equipment, including personal 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.
A complete list of the awards by department can be found here.
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