Grants to empower local municipalities to purchase Automated External Defibrillators (AED) for public safety and first responder vehicles, have recently been announced. $527K of state and federal funding will equip 246 vehicles serving approximately 70% of the Commonwealth’s cities and towns.
Congratulations to the Duxbury Police Department, and the Hanson and Pembroke Fire Departments for being awarded this grant money. State legislation authorized by Chapter 24 of the Massachusetts Acts of 2021, An Act Making Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2022, is what made this grant opportunity possible.
The Grant Award Amounts for Duxbury, Hanson and Pembroke:
Awardee | Award Amount |
Duxbury Police Department | $1,529.00 |
Hanson Fire Department | $2,079.15 |
Pembroke Fire Department | $2,500.00 |
An AED is a medical device used to support people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, which is the abrupt loss of heart function in a person who may or may not have been diagnosed with heart disease. An AED analyzes the patient’s heart rhythm and, if necessary, delivers an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm. A study from the American Heart Association found that 350,000 people suffer sudden cardiac arrest outside of the hospital every year in the U.S.
OGR received significant interest from municipalities for this grant opportunity. As part of its competitive process, OGR recommended funding for all 246 applicants. Although the total funding requested exceeded the allocated state funds, Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy authorized the use of federal Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program funds to meet the $27K difference and deliver AEDs to all grant applicants. support all requests. Of the 246 awards, 12 applicants received federal JAG funding.
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