The Newburyport Daily News: Newbury Fire Department Awarded $157,000 Grant

September 9, 2016

By: NULL

By: Jennifer Solis

NEWBURY — Byfield, Newbury and Plum Island just got a little “safer” thanks to a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant awarded to the Newbury Fire Department this week.

The Office of Congressman Seth Moulton, D-Salem, announced on Wednesday that Newbury was awarded a grant worth $157,189 from the Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) program. The funding will be used to update fire department equipment to improve critical communications capacities both at the station and in the field.

“I am incredibly pleased that the Newbury Fire Department has been awarded this extremely beneficial grant to better our communications, the backbone of fire safety and efficiency,” fire Chief Nathan Walker said in a statement. “Between Plum Island, Byfield, and Newbury, the Fire Department covers over 26 miles of land, making this grant to improve our communications even more vital.”

The timing of the grant seems especially poignant coming as it does, just days before the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City, in which countless first responders perished, including nearly 350 firefighters.

Town Administrator Tracy Blais congratulated firefighter Lt. Robert Serino and Walker “for continuing to improve upon our existing fire operations during our transition.”

“The receipt of these grant proceeds will allow the department to update their communications equipment at little expense to the taxpayers,” Blais said.

According to a press release issued on Wednesday, the fire department “will replace mobile devices in the apparatus and introduce dual mobile radios in command vehicles for better communication at emergency scenes. In addition, firefighters will get portable radios with mayday capabilities, which will increase their safety while on scene.”

Moulton had praise for the role firefighters play in keeping the town safe and for Homeland Security for recognizing the importance of investing in local departments.

SAFER was created “to provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to help them increase or maintain the number of trained, ‘front line’ firefighters available in their communities. The goal of SAFER is to enhance the local fire departments’ abilities to comply with staffing, response and operational standards established by the (National Fire Protection Association),” the FEMA website states.

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