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Date: 1/25/2022
NORTHAMPTON – The Baker-Polio 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.
Among the communities that received this funding was the Northampton Fire Department, which obtained $18,818 in grant money through program. According to Fire Chief Jon Davine, this money will be used to purchase a couple of hydrant assist valves and some short lengths of large diameter hoses 10 to 15 feet long.
The hydrant assist valves are a new tool that the department has been training with. They have one now, but Davine said that they are looking to outfit all the fire engines with one of these valves.
“It really allows us to hook [the assist valve] onto the hydrant,” said Davine. “We can hook a fire engine right to it…increase the pressure as the water out of the hydrant into the truck, and then we can push it back out.”
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.
The Fire Department also received more money from the 2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grant worth around $38,000. With that funding, the department is purchasing attack line hoses, which are the lines that go from the truck into the whatever building they are fighting a fire.
“We test our hoses annually,” said Davine. “Unfortunately, this year, we lost a lot of hoses during hose testing. A lot of our hoses are over 20 years old.” With those hoses not reaching the necessary pressure standards, Davine said the department was forced to throw them away.
“These grants are very helpful with purchasing some hose,” said Davine. “Those hoses are our lifeline. That’s what carries our water and puts the fire, but also protects our fire fighters.”