About 19 years after her death, a local woman’s good deed is helping the fire department purchase life-saving equipment.
That good deed is also steeped in mystery.
A few months ago, the town was notified that $146,000 from a local woman’s estate was being gifted to the fire department.
That woman was Sylvia Cabral.
In her will, Cabral left part of her estate to the Billerica Fire Department for the purpose of acquiring life-saving equipment. The will stipulated that the donation could not be spent on trucks or vehicles. It also stipulated that the funds would not be donated until after the death of Cabral’s longtime partner Peter F. Giannino if he outlived her.
Billerica Fire Chief Robert Cole called Cabral’s donation an “unbelievable gift”.
In keeping with Cabral’s wishes, Cole decided that the donation would be used to purchase thermal imaging cameras that are incorporated into firefighters’ masks. Currently, Billerica firefighters use handheld cameras.
“It leaves our firefighters with their hands free and they can still see through the smoke,” Cole said of the new equipment.