REGION – Georgetown Fire Chief Matt McKay, Groveland Fire Chief Robert Valentine, Merrimac Fire Chief Larry Fisher, and Amesbury Fire Chief James Nolan are pleased to share that the Georgetown, Groveland, Merrimac, and Amesbury Fire Departments received a joint federal assistance grant for equipment.
The four fire departments received a joint grant of $614,728 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant program.
The funding will be used to purchase equipment such as portable radios and accessories including microphones, batteries, and chargers. The new equipment will replace old or failing radios. The decision was made to purchase the radios based on the needs of the communities.
The new portable radios will be able to receive and transmit communications on multiple radio bands where older technologies could only operate on one, making interoperability with inter-agency and mutual aid partners more accessible. They also offer the newest technology and security features, which are imperative for critical incidents. The portable radios are vital to firefighting operations and the safety of firefighters and the community at large.
As part of the grant funding program, each community is responsible for providing a 10 percent match toward their share of the equipment cost.
The joint grant application was written by Amesbury Deputy Fire Chief Rob Serino and Georgetown Fire Lt. Brian Belfiore.
About FEMA Assistance to
Firefighters Grants
Assistance to Firefighters Grants is allocated to fire departments nationally to fund and aid the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and non-affiliated emergency medical service organizations. These federal grants help firefighters and other first responders obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources necessary for protecting the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards. ♦
