HAMPSHIRE COUNTY – The Baker-Polito administration recently awarded $5 million in grant funding to 306 Massachusetts fire departments to help purchase a variety of equipment to make the jobs of firefighters easier.

Easthampton, Southampton and Westhampton were among the communities in the state that received this funding to properly offer the essential services administered on a day-to-day basis. According to the state press release, Easthampton received $14,044, Southampton received $15,500 and Westhampton received $10,435.

According to Westhampton Fire Chief David Antosz, their Fire Department is using the money for protective gear, as well as other items that will help take care of the protective gear. “It’s a combo of things we’ve been looking at, trying to get,” said Antosz.

This is the second year the state has awarded grants for the purpose of acquiring crucial equipment as part of a $25 million bond bill filled by the Baker-Polio administration to support firefighter safety and health in the coming years.

One of the items the Westhampton Fire Department received will help augment their cleaning of the equipment after they come out of a hazardous situation, which is important, because conditions such as these can often cause the dispersal of cancerous materials that can have a long-term effect on health.

The cleaning supplies will now allow the gear to be back in service at a quicker rate.

For John Workman, the fire chief for the Southampton Fire Department, the $15,500 is important because the town does not usually have the budget to replace some of their aging gear. “Without some of the grant funding, it’s almost impossible to keep some of the equipment current,” said Workman. “It’s an ongoing challenge.”

Of the total grant award, $10,710 will go toward the purchase of nine self-contained breathing apparatus bottles that are expiring and require replacing; $2,660 will be for four sets of wildland fire gear; and $2,130 will be used for six self-contained breathing apparatus pieces to ensure all employees have one issued for their individual use. According to Workman, these pieces are especially important in the COVID-19 era because they curb the potential for cross contamination from personal gear. “The grant is awesome,” said Workman. “It helps us out, keeps the guys safe, and lets us do our job.”

Workman said that, in the past, it was difficult to acquire grant funding for fire departments because there was not much of an opportunity for it. Additionally, Workman said he has had to cut funding over the past couple of years due to budget issues within the town, so the program now is especially important for that reason.

The grant funding is part of a five-year program that the state is offering for fire departments, according to Workman. “By the end of five years, I might be caught up,” he said, referring to the equipment the department will need in future years. “And that’s a wonderful thing.”

Meanwhile, the Easthampton Fire Department also used their grant money to purchase protective clothing for their staff, including five sets of turnout gear. “[The gear] is going to provide our department the ability to begin outfitting every member with two sets of compliant gear,” said Easthampton Fire Chief Christopher Norris. “And those two sets of compliant gear for each member are based on national standards.” The fire chief also added that the two new sets of gear will help to emphasize the importance of cleaning any unhealthy carcinogens off the clothing before they are put to use again.

In totality, fire departments across the state were able to apply to this grant program for 118 different types of eligible equipment including, personal protective clothing, gear washers and dryers, thermal imaging cameras, assorted hand tools and extrication equipment, communications resources, hazardous gas meters, fitness equipment and more. In many cases, the purchase of this equipment will help departments attain or maintain compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration or National Fire Protection Association safety standards.