STONEHAM — Chief Matthew Grafton is pleased to announce that the Stoneham Fire Department has been awarded an Assistance for Firefighters Grant (AFG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The grant in the amount of $308,485.45, will be used to purchase 36 portable radios and accessories including batteries, carrying cases, and both portable and vehicle chargers.
The Town of Stoneham will match the grant award by 10%, bringing the total funding available to the department to $339,334.
The new state of the art radios are specifically designed for firefighting. They are extremely durable and have the capability of storing multiple communication channels, for all of Stoneham’s mutual aid partners and beyond.
“I would like to thank FEMA for awarding us this grant, and the Town of Stoneham for contributing the 10% match” said Chief Grafton. “We are very appreciative of this much needed equipment, and I also want to thank the Capital Committee for supporting us through this grant application process. Communication is a critical component of firefighting and with the purchase of these new radios we will be able to better depend on the reliability of our communication equipment while working in extreme environments.”
Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Assistance to Firefighters Grants are 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.
For more information on the FY2021 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, click here.
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