City Secures $35K to Upgrade Fire Safety Equipment

The City has secured a Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant of almost $35,000 from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn announced. The funding will support improved communication and efficiency through the purchase of six new radios.

The upgraded radios will provide communications capability that is interoperable with the Medford Police Department and other regional mutual aid partners. Radios serve as the primary platform for resource coordination, dispatch communications, and Emergency Operations Center connectivity during routine and large-scale incidents. The six radios will be deployed on five frontline fire apparatus (fire trucks) and one command vehicle.

“Equipping our first responders with reliable tools is essential for keeping our community safe and secure during emergency situations” said Mayor Lungo-Koehn. “Thank you to Chief Todd Evans for his work to secure this funding and his leadership of our Fire Department.”

“Several of our trucks are equipped with radios that are over 20 years old, exceeding their service life, and becoming incompatible with technology used by our partners,” said Fire Chief Todd Evans. “This grant funding will help us close a communications gap and improve our overall department efficiency.”

Fire departments were invited to apply to the Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant program, which provides reimbursement on purchases of nearly 100 different types of equipment. The state is awarding $5 million to 307 fire departments across Massachusetts.

Learn more about the grant program here.