As part of the Assistance to Firefighter Grant (AFG) program from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), several local communities, including Longmeadow, Holyoke, and Springfield each recently received funds for equipment.
“Since 2001, AFG has helped 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,” states www.fema.gov.
Longmeadow was awarded a grant for $33,143 to go toward replacing 12 sets of outdated firefighter protective gear, consisting of the coats, pants, boots, and helmets that firefighters wear in a fire.