Sudbury Fire Department Awarded $78,000 Grant for Equipment
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Chief John M. Whalen is pleased to announce that the Sudbury Fire Department has been awarded a $78,000 Assistance to Firefighters Grant by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
With the funding, the department will replace its aging Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) air compressor/filling station and purchase a Fit Testing machine, enabling the department to conduct mandatory fitness evaluations on-site.
“We are very excited and grateful to receive the funding. Our current compressor has served us well, but it is 27 years old and needs more frequent repairs,” said Fire Chief John Whalen. “Fit Testing is an annual requirement for all firefighters and having the machine here will allow us to do the testing on our own, rather than paying a third-party vendor to do so.”
The Department applied for the grant in 2018 and received notification of the award in mid-September. At its most recent meeting, the Board of Selectmen voted to accept the funding.
The federal grant money will fund 95 percent of the anticipated cost for both pieces of equipment.
Grants are awarded on a rolling basis through a competitive evaluation process until grant funding for that fiscal year has been exhausted. Procurement of the new Air Compressor and Fit Testing machine is expected to take place as soon as the funds are released by the Department of Homeland Security.