Greenwich Fire Department Awarded $81,200 Grant For Water Supply Training

GREENWICH, CT — The Town of Greenwich and the town's fire department has been awarded $81,200 through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's fiscal year 2025 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program for advanced pump operator and tanker shuttle training.

The funding will provide Pumping Apparatus Driver/Operator and Tanker Shuttle Operator certification training for career and volunteer firefighters, the fire department said in a news release.

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The training is intended to improve the department's ability to establish and maintain a reliable water supply at fires throughout Greenwich.

"This is especially important in the Backcountry, where the absence of municipal hydrants, combined with large properties, extended setbacks and lengthy driveways, can create additional challenges for fire suppression. Establishing and maintaining a dependable water supply is essential to sustaining an effective fire attack," said Assistant Fire Chief Charles Lubowicki in a news release.

The Pumping Apparatus Driver/Operator training will focus on pump operations. The Tanker Shuttle Operator training will cover establishing a static water supply and coordinating the movement of apparatus to maintain a water supply at a fire.

The training is also expected to improve coordination between Greenwich firefighters and mutual aid departments.

"A reliable water supply is one of the most fundamental requirements of an effective fire attack, and that becomes significantly more complex when a fire occurs in an area without fire hydrants," said Fire Chief Joseph McHugh in a news release. "This grant provides an important opportunity to strengthen the skills of our career and volunteer firefighters and ensure our personnel are prepared to establish and maintain the water supplies necessary to protect our community."

The grant program supports fire departments and emergency response organizations in improving their ability to protect the public and firefighters from fire and related hazards.

FEMA determined that Greenwich's project met the program's purpose and merited funding.

The department thanked town administrators and elected officials for their support.