SOUTHWICK – At the January 3 Select Board meeting, Southwick Fire Chief Russ Anderson’s request to apply for a FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) firefighter grant was approved by the Board.
Southwick Fire Chief Russ Anderson. (WNG File Photo)
Anderson is applying to the grant in two sections. The first section involves a self-contained breathing apparatus refilling station. This mechanism fills all the firefighter’s air packs that they use during structural fires and also helps refill their air tanks. The current apparatus is 30 years old and Anderson believes it’s time to make a change.
“It’s at the end of its life and now would be the time to get a grant to replace it,” said Anderson.
The second part to the grant focuses on a portion of the department’s ladder truck that is 30 years old. Anderson noted that apparatus funds are a very competitive section in the FEMA grant process so he requested that a portion of their ladder truck to be covered by a grant.
According to Anderson, he’s now in the process of writing and then submitting the application to FEMA. The application is due by the beginning of February and the results of whether Southwick Fire has been accepted or not will occur at some point this spring.
Anderson also mentioned that the department applied for a FEMA grant last year to replace their old air packs and were accepted.
