Sen. Lewis & Rep. Day Announce $19,000 State Grant to Purchase Safety Equipment for the Stoneham Fire Dept.

BOSTON—State Representative Michael Day and State Senator Jason Lewis are pleased to announce that the Stoneham Fire Department will receive a $19,000 state grant to purchase new safety equipment through the Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program.

Fire departments across Massachusetts may utilize this program to purchase a wide variety of eligible equipment, including thermal and ballistic protective clothing, thermal imaging cameras, hand tools and extrication equipment, hoses and nozzles, communications gear, and hazardous gas meters.

“Our brave firefighters risk health hazards posed by smoke and other fire byproducts to protect our lives and property,” said Senator Jason Lewis. “We owe it to them to ensure that they have all necessary safety equipment, and this grant will help do so.”

“I applaud Chief Grafton and the Stoneham Fire Department for taking the initiative to apply for this grant,” said Representative Michael S. Day. “The safety of our fire fighters is essential, and I will continue to support the funding of these grants and work with our Town to ensure that we take advantage of these programs.”

“This grant funding will enable the Stoneham Fire Department to replace outdated single band mobile radios with new dual band mobile radios ensuring better communications and multi-agency interoperability,” said Stoneham Fire Chief Matthew G. Grafton.

The Massachusetts Legislature funds the Firefighter Safety Grant Program in its annual state budget.