EASTHAMPTON — The Easthampton Fire Department is receiving $200,000 in FEMA grant funding for new cardiac monitors, part of more than $14.7 million delivered from the agency in grant funding for fire departments and other first responder organizations in Massachusetts.
According to the agency, FEMA disburses this money to support firefighters and other emergency personnel because they are often the first ones on the scene when disaster strikes. By playing an essential role in keeping American communities safe and empowering these emergency responders to strengthen and expand their capacity, FEMA is contributing to the nation’s overall resilience.
Easthampton Fire Chief Christopher Norris told Reminder Publishing the department is excited and pleased to be awarded the grant, which will include a 5% match from the city. With the funding, the department will purchase four new cardiac monitors.
“Those monitors are required on every one of our paramedic advanced life support ambulances, as well as our paramedic engine. They’re going to replace monitors that were over 12 years old and could no longer be serviced,” Norris added.
FEMA is administering these funds through its three fiscal year 2025 fire grant programs: the Assistance to Firefighter Grants, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant program, and Fire Prevention and Safety grant program. The agency published the funding opportunities in May 2026, making $648 million available across all three programs.
This funding is part of nearly $32.5 million in grants to the six New England states under the three FY25 fire grant programs. Announced on Sept. 25, the funding kicking off these awarding of grants includes nearly $11.7 million under FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grants. Recipients can use this money to outfit first responders with compliant personal protective equipment, acquire emergency response vehicles, and develop health, wellness and resiliency initiatives to prepare responders for incidents.
Following this latest announcement, FEMA will continue awarding these funds directly to fire departments, first responder agencies, and other organizations focused on fire prevention and firefighter safety. Other Hampshire County communities benefiting from this funding are the town of Amherst which will receive nearly $52,000 for firefighting nozzles as well as $888,000 to hire six firefighters, and Southampton, which will receive nearly $213,000 for firefighter breathing apparatus.
Norris added that from Easthampton’s perspective, he believes the department has had a successful track record in looking at alternative funding sources like the ones offered through FEMA, and the city has been the recipient of many of these awards that would otherwise have to be funded through capital improvement planning by the city.
“These awards are extremely competitive. Usually, FEMA gets around 20,000 applications a year and they award about 2,000 across the country,” Norris added.
Norris shared that this recent award will be the 12th federal homeland security award issued to Easthampton, totally close to $4 million in funding received for the city.
“As we all know unfortunately costs continue to rise, whether that’s capital costs for new vehicles, new ambulances, new equipment such as cardiac monitors, stretchers, stair chairs, all of that, so I think we’ve always looked at these alternative funding sources first,” Norris explained. “We put together a good plan. I think our short-term vision and short-term strategic plan for capital replacement has been executed very well and I think we’ve found a good balance between completing these capital projects and not having to go to the city for these funded needs.”
For more information on this funding and FEMA’s continued awarding of funding for its FY25 fire grant programs, visit fema.gov/grants/preparedness/firefighters.
