WESTBOROUGH – Chief Patrick Purcell has announced that the Westborough Fire Department was recently awarded two grants that will be used to purchase new equipment.
Westborough Fire Department was awarded a $18,642 Department of Fire Services fiscal 2023 Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant and a $5,100 Emergency Management Performance Grant from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and the United States Department of Homeland Security.
“We are very grateful for both of these funding opportunities. These grants will go a long way in purchasing equipment that will help keep both our firefighters and our entire community safe,” said Purcell.
Westborough was one of over 300 fire departments across the state to have been awarded a grant as part of the Department of Fire Services grant program.
The $18,642 grant will be used to purchase 4-inch large-diameter hoses for two engines. This will replace aging equipment originally purchased in 1999.
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 to support firefighter safety and health in the coming years.
“Every time a firefighter goes to work, they could be asked to rescue a child from a burning building, clean up a spill of hazardous materials, treat a patient with a contagious medical condition, or rush into a hostile event to rescue and treat victims,” said State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey. “This program is absolutely vital to helping fire departments prepare for the vast array of hazards they face today and making sure that firefighters go home safe after every call.”
Emergency Management Performance Grant
Westborough Fire will use the $5,100 EMPG grant awarded by MEMA and DHS to replace aging equipment used in technical rescues and dive emergencies.
The EMPG provides funds to assist local and tribal governments with emergency management departments in preparing for all hazards and to obtain the resources required to support FEMA’s National Preparedness Goal’s Mission Areas and Core Capabilities.
The EMPG’s allowable costs support efforts to build and sustain core capabilities across the prevention, protection, mitigation, response and recovery mission areas. Funds may be used to support local and/or regional emergency management activities in the following cost categories: planning; organizational; equipment; training; and exercises.
