Press Releases

LOWELL, MA – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan applauded the awarding of $43,627 in federal grant funding to the Gardner Fire Department through the FEMA FY2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program. The funding will be used for the installation of a fire and carbon monoxide alarm system.

“Day in and day out, Gardner firefighters demonstrate their unyielding commitment to the safety of their community,” Congresswoman Trahan said. “This federal investment recognizes the hard work of this department and will help provide the equipment needed to keep them safe when they’re in the firehouse. Our first responders put their lives on the line every day serving our community and it’s only right we ensure their safety – whether out on a call or inside their department – is always prioritized.”

“This is the third AFG award for the City of Gardner in the last four years.  This grant program is vital to the Gardner Fire Department for needed equipment purchases that would be otherwise difficult for the City fund. This year’s grant award is to replace the 40-plus year old, outdated fire alarm system at Gardner Fire Headquarters. Fire Stations can have fires just like any other building, and the effect can be devastating to the community in terms of loss of millions of dollars of firefighting equipment, as well as loss of continuity of operations of the Fire Department and its ability to protect the citizens,”said Fire Chief Greg Lagoy.  “This new state of the art system will provide fire and carbon monoxide detection.  Unlike the old system, the new system will be connected to the Gardner 911 Dispatch Center located at the Police Department, so if a fire occurs while all firefighters are out of the Station, immediate notification of the alarm will occur and a response can be initiated. We appreciate the continued support of the FEMA AFG program.”

“This grant is a big help to the City. While we try to keep up with the needs of our city owned buildings as best we can, funding on the city side always puts up restrictions. This grant will allow us to install new equipment at our Fire Station to make sure we are doing all we can to keep our firefighters safe as they work to keep the community safe. I can’t thank Congresswoman Trahan enough for all of her support she has provided the City with grant programs like these since she has been in office,” said Mayor Michael Nicholson.

Since 2001, FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grants have been critical to ensuring that firefighters and other first responders have access to necessary resources. Departments that secure these competitive grants have been able to use critical federal funding to obtain equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, and training in order to continue protecting the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.

Congresswoman Trahan has been an avid supporter of the many hard-working fire departments across the 3rd district since the moment she was sworn into office. During negotiations over funding for Fiscal Year 2021, Congresswoman Trahan joined a number of her colleagues in successfully requesting an increase in federal funding for the AFG program – bringing the federal appropriation to $355 million. Additionally, during the coronavirus pandemic, Congresswoman Trahan voted in favor of the CARES Act, which authorized $100 million for the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) and related supplies for first responders.

More information regarding FEMA's Assistance to Firefighters grant programs can be found here: https://www.fema.gov/welcome-assistance-firefighters-grant-program.

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