Reading Fire Department Receives FEMA Grant

The Reading Fire Department received a federal grant of $159,364 for the purchase of personal protective equipment. The award was secured thanks to the efforts of the fire department working through the U.S. Fire Administration Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. The AFG program is managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Because of the grant, Town Meeting in November will be able to apply funding it had originally approved for the protective equipment to a necessary school building repair.

According to FEMA, the primary goal of the grant is to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and emergency medical service organizations. Since 2001, this program has helped firefighters and other first responders to obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.

The fire department used grant funds to purchase the following items:

— 26 Scott brand self-contained breathing air packs for use in smoky or hazardous atmospheres.
— 52 thirty-minute compressed air cylinders.
— One Pak Tracker device designed to locate lost or trapped fire fighters.
— 12 breathing face pieces.
—Two Scott Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) packs to use for fire fighters or fire victims trapped in hazardous environments.

Additionally, the department will purchase hazardous gas monitors. The monitors test for carbon monoxide, explosive gases, sewer gas and low oxygen environments. The equipment has been received and was placed into service on Oct. 19. The new gear will replace the breathing units that have been used for more than 13 years.