ADAMS, Mass. — Specialty Minerals donated a truck full of needed rescue tools to the Adams Volunteer Fire Department.
Doug Mayger, operations lead and Kyle Ledbetter, environment health and safety manager pulled into the fire station bearing gifts on Tuesday, June 6.
Gifts they hope to make the firefighters' job a little easier.
"We wanted to help out. The Adams Fire Department has helped us out in the past and we wanted to reciprocate that generosity," Ledbetter said. "The chief was able to recommend some tools they needed and we were able to purchase them."
The cache included saws, batteries, drills, and other tools used for extraction and cutting through barriers. Fire Chief John Pansecchi said the department's current fleet of hand tools is aging. This became really apparent at a recent call to the Specialty Minerals Plant.
"We had a fire down there in one of their silos, and we had to take it apart and do some work on it," he said. "We realized we didn't have some of the tools we needed. So we made up a wishlist And unfortunately, do the things going on, weren't able to really even nibble at it. These guys made an offer so we took them up on it."
He added that it is incredibly important for firefighters to have reliable hand tools in an emergency situation where they may have to extract someone from a dangerous situation.
Pansecchi added that it also allows the department to stretch its budget a little further to purchase other needed equipment.
Mayger said many Specialty Minerals employees are Adams residents and they also appreciate the protection the department provides their one facility.
"It is an important thing to do especially for the first responders who are always ready if we need them 24/7," he said. "They work nonstop."
Pansecchi said he works closely with the plant so if there is ever an emergency, the department is ready.
"We hope we never have to respond, but we are always ready," he said. "It is a big facility that we are always learning about."
A few of the dozen or so volunteers present stepped up into the pickup truck and unloaded the boxes of tools. They proudly stacked the pristine yellow boxes on the front of the engine for a photo op.
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Solar Carports Approved for Greylock Glen Outdoor Center
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — The Greylock Glen Outdoor Center will be getting its power from solar carports in the parking lot.
The Selectmen last month approved the design and siting of the 148-kilowatt solar array.
"We're attempting to do this without any investment essentially from the town, that is the goal of this," said Town Administrator Jay Green. "We're looking for an organization that can front the capital cost to install the solar."
Solar had always been part of the conversation around the outdoor center but as a separate construction from the building itself. It has included a cost benefit analysis to determine if solar was worth investing in.
The town paid for an impact study of $11,100 by National Grid, required before the utility would give interconnection approval. The request for proposals was issued by PowerOptions of Boston, former state entity turned private not-for-profit that procures energy services nonprofit organizations and governmental entities.
"The [town] is a PowerOptions member and so ultimately, can choose to move forward under the provisions of the letter of intent and per the agreement between PowerOptions and Solect Energy as the winner of the solar RFP put out by PowerOptions a couple of years ago," Andreas Schmid of Solect Energy, in a presentation to the board on Sept. 18.
"In terms of the panel capacity, things are a little flexible, so we could add a few more panels or take a few more panels out, as long as that AC system size."
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