DRACUT — Chief Michael Cunha is pleased to report that the Dracut Fire Department, which already received a $17,554 grant from the Fiscal Year 2025 Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant program earlier this year, has now received an additional $4,700 in grant funds.

The additional grant funding will be used to replace aging and expired self-contained breath apparatus (SCBA) for firefighters.

Fire departments across Massachusetts were invited to apply to the Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant program, which provides reimbursement on purchases of 135 different types of eligible equipment. Eligible items include hoses and nozzles, turnout gear, ballistic protective equipment, gear washers and dryers, thermal imaging cameras, hand tools and extrication equipment, communications resources, hazardous gas meters, and more.

In many cases, the purchase of this equipment will help departments attain compliance with Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) or National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) safety standards.

This is the fifth year that funding has been awarded through the program, which is administered by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security and the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

The previously received grant funding was used to purchase water and ice rescue equipment and to replace some SCBAs. The additional grant funding will fund the replacement of additional SCBAs.

“SCBAs are one of the most important pieces of equipment firefighters use. They must function flawlessly,” said Chief Cunha. “Equipment that is outdated or not properly maintained may fail when it’s most needed. Keeping SCBAs up to date ensures we are protecting our firefighters from toxic smoke, gases, and other harmful airborne particulates encountered during firefighting operations.”