The Newton Fire/EMS made the following post on Facebook Monday, Aug. 26:
Newton Fire/EMS (NFEMS) has been awarded a Federal Assistance for Firefighter’s Grant (AFG) worth more than $518,000 for the purchase of a new pumper-tender.
“The department has currently been using a 41-year-old military-style, employee-built water tender that holds insufficient amounts of water and doesn’t have the correct dump valves to operate in a water shuttle operation for rural fires. A new tender will be a game-changer for rural operations as well as provide redundancy in city operations if other engines are down or out for service.
“This is the fifth AFG awarded to NFEMS since 2018 with a total value of over $1.85 million. On average, approximately 20-25% of AFG applicants are awarded every year and only about 10% of apparatus requests are awarded.
“This vehicle will be a significant asset to the community and department, with minimal budgetary impact.”
