$27K State Grant Awarded To South Brunswick Fire District 2 For New Equipment

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ – The South Brunswick Fire District 2 will receive $27,000 from the state for new equipment including protective gear, the state announced.

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) awarded $10 million in American Rescue Plan Firefighter Grants to 293 local and regional fire departments. The grant will ensure firefighters have proper protective, cleaning, and sanitization equipment.

“Equipping our firefighters with the proper gear is crucial to allowing them to safely and successfully do their jobs,” Gov. Phil Murphy said in a media release.

“The health and safety of our essential workers is of the utmost importance to this Administration. I am grateful to DCA for recognizing these departments’ needs and awarding funding to provide this equipment.”

The fire department had requested $49,300 in funding to purchase 10 sets of turnout gear, 10 helmets, and 10 Nomex hoods, to replace older personal protective equipment currently in service, Fire Chief Scott Smith told Patch.

"Since the award is for less than what we originally requested, we will need to prioritize what equipment we want to purchase with the awarded funds. As of yet, a formal decision hasn’t been made on what we intend to purchase, but it will be most likely some amount of turnout gear, helmets and hoods as per our application," Smith said.

The fire department is still waiting to receive a formal notification from the State on the award and guidance on how to proceed with the purchases.

To be eligible for the funding, eligible applicants had to describe the intended use of the grant, list the key personnel and/or outside consultant that will be managing the funds and purchase of equipment, and submit a governing body resolution acknowledging and approving any grant application and the proposed plan to use funds for the purchase of approved items.

“The heightened anxiety felt by first responders like firefighters during the pandemic is well-documented,” State Fire Marshal and Division of Fire Safety Director Richard Mikutsky said in a statement. “Being outfitted with safe gear and clothing helps lessen this stress so that firefighters can better concentrate on the tasks at hand when responding to an emergency call.”

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