BERKELEY – The Bayville Fire Department was awarded a $34,000 grant that they will use to purchase life-saving equipment.
“This grant will enable the Township to purchase new turnout gear for our volunteer firefighters of the Bayville Volunteer Fire Company. We thank our grant writers – Bruno and Associates – for administering the application on behalf of our township and the state and federal government for providing the opportunity to apply for and ultimately receive this grant,” Mayor Carmen Amato said.
The grant came from the NJ Department of Community Affairs Fiscal Year 2022 American Rescue Plan Firefighter Grant, he said.
The local grant was part of $10 million in American Rescue Plan money distributed to 293 fire departments throughout the state. The goal was to ensure firefighters have proper protective, cleaning, and sanitization equipment during this time of heightened community need.
“Equipping our firefighters with the proper gear is crucial to allowing them to safely and successfully do their jobs,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “The health and safety of our essential workers is of the utmost importance to this administration. I am grateful to DCA for recognizing these departments’ needs and awarding funding to provide this equipment.”
“Having appropriate gear, clothing, and equipment is critical for firefighters’ physical and mental health, particularly for those who serve in fire departments with limited operating budgets and large numbers of volunteers,” said Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, who serves as DCA Commissioner. “For this reason, DCA is proud to help fire departments pay for these important resources so firefighters can safely and effectively serve the people in their communities.”
Fire departments can use the grant funding to help cover costs associated with the purchases of:
• Protective clothing (turnout clothing ensembles, pants, garments, helmets, hoods, gloves, footwear, etc.);
• Cleaning and advanced cleaning equipment;
• Oxygen equipment;
• Personal protective equipment (PPE); and
• Other fire/virus protection equipment as determined to be appropriate by DCA’s Division of Local Government Services.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, firefighters have had to think about viruses in addition to the fire hazards they face during emergency responses,” said Division of Local Government Services Director Jacquelyn Suárez. “These grants will help provide them with the high-quality personal protective equipment and protective clothing ensembles they now need, in addition to helmets, gloves, and boots.”
“The heightened anxiety felt by first responders like firefighters during the pandemic is well-documented,” said State Fire Marshal and Division of Fire Safety Director Richard Mikutsky. “Being outfitted with safe gear and clothing helps lessen this stress so that firefighters can better concentrate on the tasks at hand when responding to an emergency call.”
“Firefighters’ constant exposure to deadly toxins and carcinogens has made cancer a leading cause of firefighter fatalities,” said Eddie Donnelly, president of the New Jersey State Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association. “The NJ FMBA applauds the Murphy/Oliver Administration for working with us to provide funding for important gear replacement and cleaning initiatives.”
According to the state, fire departments had to describe the intended use of the funding, list the key personnel and/or outside consultant that will be managing the grant funds and purchase of equipment, and submit a governing body resolution acknowledging and approving any grant application and the proposed plan to use funds for the purchase of approved items.
Grant applications were reviewed based on the following criteria:
• Scope of fire department need as demonstrated by equipment need, number of service calls, number of active firefighters, and population of service area.
• Impact of COVID-19 on the fire department as demonstrated by the impact of the virus on the firehouse and its personnel and the local impact of COVID-19 as it relates to fire department activities and response.
• Level of commitment to protecting firefighters as demonstrated by the local match to the grant funding and other grants for protective equipment or other firefighting projects.
All local and regional fire departments in New Jersey were eligible to apply. For more information, including a full list of recipients, visit nj.gov/dca/dlgs/programs/arpffg.shtml
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