The Lynnfield Fire Department recently learned it is receiving a $49,533 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The award is one of 340 distributed to fire departments nationwide for a total of $7.8 million in direct assistance grants through FEMA’s FY2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grant COVID-19 Supplemental program (AFG-S).
The AFG-S Program distributed grants to 23 fire departments in Massachusetts.
The Boston Fire Department received the largest grant, $397,057. Lynnfield’s grant was the third highest, behind Boston and Brewster ($53,115).
“This grant was designed around PPE (personal protective equipment) to keep our fire department members safe,” said Fire Chief Glenn Davis. “We are happy to receive this grant as it’s a competitive process and we spent a lot of time and money getting it. We were hoping to get it so we didn’t have to use the CARES funds to reimburse prior and future expenses.”
Davis said some of the money will be used as reimbursement for PPE, including gowns, masks and other items that had already been purchased by the department. The rest will be used for future purchases as “we head into the fall season,” Davis said.
The money will also be used to offset sanitization supplies such as disinfectants used to clean ambulances and fire department vehicles, the fire station buildings and apparatus.
Nahant Fire Department was tabbed for a $16,682 grant.
The AFG-S program is a supplemental funding opportunity under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG). AFG is one of three FEMA grant programs that focus on enhancing the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and fire-related hazards. The AFG-S Program provides financial assistance directly to eligible fire departments, non-affiliated emergency medical service organizations, and State Fire Training Academies for critical PPE and supplies needed to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
The AFG-S Program represents part of a comprehensive set of measures authorized by Congress and implemented by the Department of Homeland Security. FEMA obligates funding for this project directly to the recipient agencies. It is the recipient agency’s responsibility to manage their grant award within federal guidelines with technical assistance and monitoring provided by FEMA Fire Program Specialists. Additional information about FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters grant program(s) may be found at https://www.fema.gov/firegrants.