The Haverhill Fire Department was awarded $21,271 Friday from the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of Assistance to Firefighters Grant COVID-19 Supplemental aid.
Authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security—known as CARES—Act, the money is part of $100 million to support the purchase of personal protective equipment and related disinfectant supplies and equipment to help the fire services prevent, prepare for and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
By law, 25 percent of the money must be awarded to volunteer fire departments and another 25 percent to combination fire departments. Friday’s awards fulfill the requirement to volunteer and combination fire departments. A combination fire department is a fire department that has paid firefighting personnel and volunteer firefighting personnel. Fire departments which pay fees or stipends to on-call firefighters are included in this group.