Senator Blumenthal Announces Passage of Fire Grants and Safety Act – We-Ha

Senator Richard Blumenthal announced the passage of the Fire Safety Grants Act and provided helpful fire safety tips on Wednesday, July 3, at West Hartford Fire Department Station 4 in preparation for the July 4 holiday weekend.

By Kaily Martinez

Senator Richard Blumenthal announced the passage of the Fire Safety and Grants Act on Wednesday, July 3, during a brief news conference held at West Hartford Fire Department Station 4. Blumenthal also offered some fireworks safety tips ahead of the July 4 holiday weekend.

The passage of the Fire Safety Grants Act will provide $700 million to fire departments across the country to cover personnel costs, better facilities, new equipment and better training, West Hartford Fire Chief Greg Priest said. Near Station 4, where the news conference was held, new housing has been approved and an expansion of the senior housing complex is planned, which will increase resource needs, Priest said.

“In the last fiscal year, units at this fire station responded to over 2,700 calls, approximately 63 per cent of which were medical. This volume is expected to increase, as is the potential for longer response times as we become busier,” said Priest.

The passage of the Fire Safety and Grants Act includes the Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Staffing (SAFER) Grant and the Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) Grants.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency websiteSAFER grants provide funding to volunteer fire organizations and fire departments to help maintain a “number of trained and available ‘frontline’ firefighters in their communities.” AFG Grants fund badly needed resources for fire departments, help train staff and update equipment.

“I am proud to fight for more of the resources our fire department needs to be among the best in the country. We have professionals who are second to none in their skills and dedication because they are provided with the necessary training and equipment,” Blumenthal said.

Blumenthal announced that the SAFER and AFG grants will provide $1.6 billion nationwide next year. “Because our fire departments deserve it,” he said. During his speech, Blumenthal said a $400,000 grant was provided last year to Hartford. Some of the funding will go toward improving firefighter equipment.

“Cancer is the leading cause of death for our firefighters, and some of these resources will go toward providing protective gear that doesn’t contain these kinds of toxic chemicals,” Blumenthal said. “The Fire Safety Grants Act is the start of what we owe our firefighters.”

A article An article from the National Institute of Standards and Technology states that the materials used to create firefighter protective clothing “contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.” PFAS can lead to an increased risk of cancer and other health effects. The article goes on to say that as firefighter gear undergoes more wear and tear, it can release more PFAS.

However, the Fire Safety Grants and Assistance Act is another step toward providing firefighters with the resources they need to better protect our communities and themselves. In anticipation of the July 4th holiday weekend, you can find more information about fire safety on their website website and in other tips shared by the West Hartford Fire Department with local media.

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