East Haven Mayor Joseph Carfora, along with Fire Chief Matt Marcarelli, announced Thursday, July 25, the receipt of $173,317 in federal funding awarded to the East Haven Fire Department.
This grant will fund the acquisition of diesel exhaust removal systems for three town-owned fire stations and 12 Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) for all department vehicles. Since 2017, the department has been awarded more than $1.79 million through this grant program.
The funding is provided through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program. Supported by our legislative contingent, State Representatives Zullo and Cicarella, as well as U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro and Senator Chris Murphy, these funds will enable the purchase and installation of state-of-the-art diesel exhaust removal systems at Fire Headquarters, the Foxon Fire Station and the Bradford Manor Fire Station. The current systems, now between 20 and 30 years old, have become obsolete and costly to repair. Additionally, this grant will ensure that an AED is available on every fire apparatus and support vehicle in town.
“The department’s current exhaust systems are outdated and have been cost-prohibitive to repair, but they are essential to prevent diesel exhaust, a known carcinogen, from entering living quarters. The new defibrillators feature biphasic technology, which is more effective than the number of AEDs in their facilities by repurposing our older units, which can be used by civilians. This technology is truly life-saving,” said Chief Marcarelli.
Mayor Carfora commented, “Since taking office, I have encouraged Chief Marcarelli to leverage his grant-writing expertise to minimize the financial burden on the town, which would typically fund these purchases. In recent years, Chief Marcarelli has successfully secured nearly $2 million in grants.”
Carfora continued, “I commend him for his work on this highly competitive grant, and I am pleased to support his efforts. The installation of new diesel exhaust removal systems is a critical step in mitigating the risk of occupational cancers for our firefighters, while the AEDs will be a vital resource available to any first responder, regardless of the vehicle they are on. This equipment is essential to the safety of both our great team of firefighters and the public.”
