ATHOL – A $251,000 Assistance for Firefighters Grant will allow the town to send six firefighters to receive paramedic training.

The grant, which is overseen by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is one which Fire Chief Joseph Guarnera said he applies for each year.

“It’s a very, very competitive grant, as there’s only a certain amount of money available. It has actually been cut over the years, so there’s only a certain amount of money that is there for the taking by departments all across the United States,” he said. “To get these grants is very difficult, but we’ve been able to get one of these grants almost every year. To date, it’s just about $2 million worth of grants I’ve gotten in the last five years.”

Guarnera said this year’s AFG grant will help with several department expenses. The majority of the funds will be used to send six firefighters to undergo paramedic training, four of which are recent additions to the department. The grant will also be used to pay the overtime –also known as “backfill” – that other firefighters will accrue covering shifts during this time. A total of $224,400 will be spent in this way.

“So, not only do we have the cost of college covered – tuition and fees – we also have the backfill covered by this grant,” said Guarnera.

The four new hires were done following passage of a $286,000 Proposition 2 ½ override at the April Town Election, along with the inclusion of another $95,000 in the town budget passed at the June Town Meeting.

“For the hiring of those four firefighters,” said Guarnera, “the stipulation was that they be firefighter/paramedics and that they had to go to paramedic school and pass within three years of their starting the paramedic program.”

Another $8,000 from the grant will be used for the purchase of turnout gear, according to Guarnera.

“Originally, the town was going to pay for that gear – now they don’t have to,” he said. “We’re buying four sets at approximately $2,000 each for wildland fire gear – ‘brush gear,’ we call it.”

Four sets of firefighting equipment will also be purchased, including helmets, blocking hoods, pants, coats, extra gloves, boots and flashlights.

Earlier this year, Guarnera and the fire chiefs of Hadley, West Springfield, Ludlow, Palmer, Westfield, Belchertown, Agawam, Easthampton and Springfield visited a congressional delegation in Washington DC to lobby for full funding for both the AFG and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response programs. Supporters had requested that each program be funded at $370 million for fiscal year 2025, however, Congress ultimately voted to cut $37 million from that amount for both programs.

“They were passed, but they had a significant reduction in the amount of money,” said Guarnera. “They are going to continue, but at a lesser amount.”

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@aol.com.