Federal legislators on Wednesday announced $95,362 in funding for the Williamstown Volunteer Fire Department to replace equipment nearly two decades old.
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced the funding, allocated through the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program.
The money is earmarked to replace 15 self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), which help firefighters breathe clean air. The department’s current SCBAs are 18 years old. “We’re very grateful for the AFG program, it’s great,” said Williamstown VFD Assistant Fire Chief Ralph Connor. “We’ve won in the past and it helped move our department forward.”
Schumer, D-NY, said by purchasing the new breathing equipment will help ensure health and safety in any emergency of the “courageous firefighters” of Williamstown.