WILBRAHAM – The Wilbraham Fire Department can breathe easier now that they have received $155,057 to purchase firefighter breathing apparatuses as part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program.

The program, run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), awarded a total of $33.6 million in grants to 166 fire departments nationwide, including 18 fire departments in Massachusetts.

Wilbraham’s grant will pay for 22 breathing apparatuses and three breathing apparatus facepieces.

“Think of it as a scuba tank that allows firefighters to breathe in an atmosphere we wouldn’t be able to,” Mullen said, describing the breathing equipment. The apparatus consists of air tanks and the packs they fit into, which allow them to be carried by the firefighters.

Every 15 years, the bottles expire. Rather than switch out just the bottles, the department prefers to replace the packs the bottles fit into as well since the safety features have been updated. For example, the new packs are lighter with better technology to monitor air supply.

The grant for the equipment was written in October 2018. At last year’s town meeting, Mullen said, a warrant article was approved that allocated funds to either replace the bottles or match any awarded grant funds to replace the entire units.

Also included in the grant were funds to purchase RIT bags. A RIT bag is an emergency air supply that can be brought into a fire or disaster and given to a victim or a firefighter who needs rescuing.

The AFG program was created in 2001 and provides grants for equipment, vehicles, and training for first responders. Eligible applicants include local fire departments, fire districts, nonaffiliated EMS organizations, tribal fire departments, and State Fire Training Academies.
The Wilbraham Fire Department has put in for the grant every year since its inception, and have received several. Mullen said that it will be up to the chief to decide what needs will be addressed in this year’s upcoming grant proposal.