Pawlet Fire Department secures federal grant

PAWLET­– The Pawlet Volunteer Fire Department announced that it has been awarded an Assistance to Firefighters grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for $72,381, matched with $3,619 from the Department. The grant will be used to replace the department’s aging Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) equipment, extra air cylinders, and auxiliary fill equipment. A SCBA, sometimes called an “air pack,” consists of a backpack and a facemask that allows firefighters to breathe safely in toxic and extremely hot environments by supplying them with air from a cylinder worn on the firefighter’s back. Lars Lund, president of the department, said the new equipment will meet the latest specifications outlined by the National Fire Protection Association, which sets standards for fire service equipment.