Stoneham Fire Department Receives $19,000 State Grant

BOSTON—State Senator Jason Lewis and State Representative Michael Day are pleased to announce that the Stoneham Fire Department will be receiving $18,999 to purchase new safety equipment to protect their firefighters through the Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program.

Fire departments across Massachusetts are able to utilize this program to purchase 135 different types of eligible equipment, including ballistic protective clothing, thermal protective clothing, gear washers and dryers, thermal imaging cameras, assorted hand tools and extrication equipment, communications resources, hazardous gas meters, and much more.

“Our brave firefighters risk the health hazards posed by smoke and other fire byproducts to keep us safe. We owe it to our first responders to provide them the equipment they need to stay safe and healthy,” said State Senator Jason Lewis. “I'm pleased that this state grant will support the Stoneham Fire Department and help keep our community and firefighters protected.”

"I applaud the Stoneham Fire Department for taking the initiative to apply for this grant funding and will always support efforts to make our firefighters safer," said State Representative Michael Day. "These grants are an important source of state funding that we will continue to pursue in collaboration with our town partners and departments."

“The Stoneham Fire Department is extremely grateful to have been the recipient of the 2024 DFS Equipment Grant,” said Stoneham Fire Chief Matthew Grafton. “The grant of $18,999 is nearly 60% of the amount of which we are budgeted annually for the purchasing of equipment. It has a significant impact on our ability to purchase new state of the art equipment especially with today’s rising costs. We hope this grant program will be continued for many years to come.”

This is the fourth year that funding has been available to support firefighter safety through this state program.