Fire District No. 1 has been awarded a $14,785 state grant, Fire Chief Peter Andrade announced.

The funding, provided by the Department of Fire Services Fiscal Year 2021 Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program, will be used by the department to purchase two sets of firefighter turnout gear, along with a gear dryer to go along with the current gear extractor/cleaner.

“The importance of gear cleaning is critical to firefighter safety,” Andrade said, adding that in order to remove the toxic and harmful carcinogens that get trapped within the gear material, frequent washing is required. “Having a gear dryer will enable the firefighter to return to service quicker.”

The Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant program is a competitive grant initiative that enables local fire departments to acquire safety equipment such as protective firefighting gear, thermal imaging cameras, radios, rescue equipment and gear washers and dryers.