By Cassandra Day
The Middletown Press
MIDDLEFIELD, Conn. — Middlefield Volunteer Fire Department members recently joined U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D- Conn., to announce $79,142 in federal funding to support the purchase of PFAS substances-free turnout gear.
The fire company, located on Jackson Road, was established 90 years ago. It lacks a budget for this much-needed equipment, Chief Peter Tyc said, according to a recording of the presentation.
“We want to give our volunteer firefighters the best, because they give us the best,” First Selectman Robert Yamartino said.
Recent studies by the National Institute of Standards and Technology have shown that all three layers of firefighter turnout gear contain PFAS, a class of fluorinated chemicals known as “forever chemicals,” according to a press release.
PFAS are linked to cancer and other serious health effects.
“The new equipment reflects the unique challenges you face,” Blumenthal said. “It’s not your grandfather’s fire service anymore. ... What’s in those homes when you go to put out fires: new chemicals and new threats to your physical safety.”
The funding is provided by the Assistance to Firefighter Grants program through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which aims to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters by providing direct financial assistance to eligible local fire departments, the statement said.
The grant program was reauthorized in July through the Fire Grants and Safety Act, and will provide $1.6 billion annually through fiscal year 2028 for AFG and other fire safety programs.
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