This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
The Lynnfield Fire Department has been awarded a $50,000 grant to assist with the town’s response to the 2019 novel coronavirus.
House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) and Senator Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) joined with the Baker-Polito Administration and town officials to announce the grant, which was awarded through a competitive application process and will be used to purchase Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and disinfecting equipment for local firefighters.
Lynnfield is one of 94 municipalities to receive this funding, which is being paid for through Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program (CESFP) grants that were recently awarded to the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Office of Grants and Research (OGR) by the U.S. Department of Justice. Statewide, 65 fire departments and 44 police departments are sharing in the grants, which total just over $3 million and are capped at $50,000 per community.
“Lynnfield’s firefighters have always had a difficult job to do protecting the public, but that job has become even more dangerous when you factor in the added challenges created by the global pandemic,” said Representative Jones. “This funding will enable the town to purchase additional personal protective gear and equipment to help ensure the health and safety of our local first responders.”
“Public safety officials are on the front line fighting this pandemic every hour of every day,” said Senator Crighton. “This funding will help the Lynnfield Fire Department obtain the proper PPE and decontamination supplies to keep their team and the public safe as they continue to confront COVID-19.”
“The Town of Lynnfield has had 109 cumulative positive cases. With the Lynnfield Fire Department being the primary EMS provider for the community, we continue to have close contact with COVID-19 positive patients. This grant money will allow us to continue the fight against this pandemic as safely as possible. The Town of Lynnfield is thankful for the continued support,” said Fire Chief Glenn Davis.
“In this global pandemic we need the support of our state partners to work hand in hand with first responders to keep our citizens healthy and safe. This grant is yet another example of the tremendous efforts of Representative Jones and Senator Crighton to support our community in these challenging times,” said Lynnfield Board of Selectmen Chairman Christopher Barrett.
In addition to the $3 million awarded to fire and police departments, another $6.6 million in CESFP grants is being distributed to eight state public safety agencies to assist with their coronavirus response. These agencies include the Department of Fire Services; the Department of Corrections; the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency; the Massachusetts National Guard; the Massachusetts Parole Board; the Massachusetts State Police; the Municipal Police Training Committee; and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
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