WINCHESTER, MA - Today, Assistant Speaker Clark (MA-5) announced that the Winchester Fire Department has been awarded $104,081 through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighter Grant (AFG) to help provide firefighters with the support they need to protect our communities. The funding will be used to provide firefighters with improved National Fire Protection Association compliant tools and equipment as well as new state of the art training programs.

“Winchester’s brave firefighters put their lives on the line to protect our communities. Ensuring our fire departments have equipment that protects their health is critical to their mission and safety,” said Assistant Speaker Clark. “I am grateful to FEMA for their support and look forward to our continued partnership in Massachusetts."

As a direct result of this important award, Winchester Firefighters will be able to completely upgrade their Self-Contained Breathing Apparatuses (SCBA) to the most current standards thereby providing their firefighters with the best protection. “Our goal is to always provide the best service to our citizens while keeping our Firefighters safe. This grant allows us to achieve that goal for incidents that involve working in hazardous conditions,” said Rick Tustin, Fire Chief of the Winchester Fire Department. 

The AFG program awards grants directly to fire departments and EMS organizations that are unaffiliated with a hospital to enhance their response capabilities and to protect the health and safety of the public and emergency response personnel more effectively with respect to fire and all other hazards. For more information on the AFG program, please visit: https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/firefighters/assistance-grants. 

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