Berkshire County Fire Departments Awarded Grants

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STOW—The Baker-Polito Administration announced $5 million in grant awards to 308 fire departments from the FY23 Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program.
 
In Berkshire County Adams, Dalton, Great Barrington, Lanesborough, Lee, Lenox, New Ashford, New Marlborough, North Adams, Peru, Pittsfield, Richmond, Sheffield, Stockbridge, and Williamstown all received grants.
 
"We ask so much of our firefighters, and no matter how dangerous or difficult the situation, they always do whatever it takes to help," said Governor Charlie Baker. "This program is an opportunity to make sure they are properly protected every time they answer a call for help."
 
The program provides local fire departments with a variety of equipment that makes the dangerous job of firefighting safer. This is the third year that funding has been awarded for this purpose as part of a five-year, $25 million bond bill filed by the Administration to support firefighter safety and health in the coming years.
 
Below are the grant amounts awarded to Berkshire County fire departments:
  • Adams Fire District: $15,500.00
  • Dalton Fire District: $15,500.00
  • Great Barrington: $15,271.00
  • Lanesborough: $6,736.21
  • Lee: $15,500.00
  • Lenox: $15,500.00
  • New Ashford: $10,500.00
  • New Marlborough:$6,765.00 
  • North Adams: $19,000.00
  • Peru: $10,500.00
  • Pittsfield: $25,000.00
  • Richmond: $19,598.14
  • Sheffield: $12,500.00
  • Stockbridge: $10,500.00
  • Williamstown Fire District: $11,651.35 
Fire departments in Massachusetts were able to apply to this program for 121 different types of eligible equipment, including ballistic protective clothing, thermal protective clothing, gear washers and dryers, thermal imaging cameras, assorted hand tools and extrication equipment, communications resources, hazardous gas meters, fitness equipment, and more. In many cases, the purchase of this equipment will help departments attain compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration or National Fire Protection Association safety standards.
 

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Berkshire United Way to Massachusetts: Early-Learning Educators Need Better Wages

By Katherine von Haefen Guest Column
As reported in iBerkshires, state education officials met with Western Massachusetts childcare and early education advocates at Berkshire Community College recently. I had the opportunity to share the following testimony on behalf of Berkshire United Way and our community partners. 
 
Early childhood education provides tremendous benefits to our region. High-quality child care dramatically influences brain development and the future health and success for children in school and life, as well as provides a safe and secure space for our youngest community members so their parents or caregivers can work and provide for their families. 
 
Berkshire United Way has invested in improving early childhood development opportunities in the Berkshires for decades. We fund high-quality nonprofit child-care centers that provide slots for income-constrained families. We also support the sector by co-hosting monthly child-care director meetings to work on shared challenges and collectively propose solutions. We advocate for early childhood education and have a great partner in this work, state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier. 
 
Staffing is a key component of high-quality care. The research shows that skilled and consistent educators in a classroom create long-lasting change for children. However, wages are stagnant and frequently do not provide educators with basic financial stability. We often hear that educators have left the field because they are unable to make their finances work. Wages need to improve to better reflect the expertise and indelible impact teachers have in the field. 
 
When we look specifically at our region, our data is concerning. 
 
As Berkshire County emerges from the pandemic, we are struggling with transportation, affordable housing and lack of mental health resources, much like the rest of the state. We are also seeing a rise in economically challenged households. 
 
After nearly 10 years of decline, Berkshire County has experienced a significant jump in income inequality, now exceeding the state and national trends and far above comparable counties, according to the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. Over half of our population are "economically challenged," meaning they are working but struggling to make ends meet. A single parent with a school-aged child needs between $70,000 and $80,000 in income and public benefits just to meet their basic needs. 
 
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