Tight fire department budgets across the nation have resulted in cutbacks in services, training and equipment, and even the closure of some firehouses. But good news is announced today for Bridgewater, Weymouth, Wilmington, and Merrimac in Massachusetts as local residents and Liberty Mutual Insurance have teamed up to earn each of the four town’s fire departments a much-needed $10,000 grant through Liberty Mutual’s Be Fire Smart Safety Pledge program.
From September 1 through October 31, more than a combined 4,625 residents in Bridgewater, Weymouth, Wilmington, and Merrimac visited www.BeFireSmart.com and took an online quiz, answering 10 questions to test their fire safety knowledge. Each completion secured a credit for the respective community’s fire department, helping them to become four of 10 cities and towns across the U.S. to win a Liberty Mutual grant.
Fire Chief Robert Leary of the Weymouth Fire Department says it will use the grant to purchase Thermal Imaging Cameras, while Fire Chief Ralph Spencer of the Merrimac Fire Department says the station will use the grant to purchase much needed personal protective clothing for its firefighters and continue to expand its successful public education, juvenile fire intervention and community outreach programs.
“It’s great to see four communities across the Commonwealth rally and pledge a commitment to fire safety to help their towns each earn the $10,000 grant,” said Dan Zbin, area manager for Liberty Mutual’s auto and home insurance sales offices in Massachusetts. “We have a shared responsibility to make our towns great places to live and work, and supporting the local fire service is a great way to keep families and homes safe and secure.”
In addition to Bridgewater, Weymouth, Wilmington and Merrimac, the other communities earning $10,000 Be Fire Smart grants from Liberty Mutual are:
Large communities (greater than 100,000 residents)
Lexington (KY) Division of Fire & Emergency Services
Norfolk (VA) Fire-Rescue
Midsize communities
Caledonia (MI) Fire Rescue
Covington (KY) Fire Department
Middleton (WI) Fire District
Small communities (less than 10,000 residents)
Denair (CA) Volunteer Fire Department
