Shrewsbury Fire Department Awarded $7,500 In Grants

SHREWSBURY, MA — The Shrewsbury Fire Department has received a $2,500 Firefighter Turnout Gear Grant and a $5,000 Washer-Extractor Equipment Grant from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security and the Department of Fire Services.

These programs aim to reduce the amount of cancer-causing chemicals that firefighters are exposed to in the course of their work by providing them with modern protective gear to wear while fighting fires, and modern gear washing machines to clean contaminants from their gear before they wear it to the next emergency.

The Shrewsbury Fire Department will use this funding to purchase 10 hoods and 15 gloves for personal protection during firefighting operations, and one washer-extractor for gear cleaning.

“The purchase of these items represents a significant step forward in our ongoing cancer prevention efforts at the Shrewsbury Fire Department,” said Chief Vuona. “Equipping our firefighters with new hoods and gloves and enhancing our ability to wash their gear once it is contaminated is a tremendous benefit to the firefighters, their families, and the collective safety of our community.”

“We now know that the risk of occupational cancers is among the greatest threats faced by modern firefighters. Providing firefighters with new gear to wear and establishing regular and effective gear washing programs are two of the most valuable actions we can take to reduce future cancer diagnosis” said State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey. “We are thankful that the Commonwealth has made this a priority and invested in the advancement of the ongoing cancer prevention efforts of fire departments across the state.”

Funding for this grant program was made available through the Baker-Polito administration for fire departments across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.