East Dixfield Fire Department to continue searching for grants

EAST DIXFIELD — Randy Hall, chief of the East Dixfield Fire Department, said Monday that his department will continue to look for grants to upgrade its equipment.

The department was awarded two new sets of Globe firefighter gear last week at a ceremony at the Temple Town Hall. Each set includes a coat, pants and gloves.

“Globe Gear has a nationwide contest every year, and we’re always looking for ways we can upgrade equipment that comes at no cost to the town,” Hall said. “Our gear was getting outdated and needed to be replaced, so this new gear is a huge help to us.”

The other departments in the country that received turnout gear were Clear Cree Volunteer Fire Department in Boise, Idaho, Jackson Township Fire Department in Helmsburg, Ind., and Woodbury Heights Fire Department in New Jersey.

Hall said the Globe Gear contest won’t be the last time the department applies for such a grant.

“We will absolutely sign up for another one, if it comes up,” he said. “We’re always looking for any help we can get.”

Hall said the department has been busy over the summer.

“Every year in June we do our annual blood drive,” the chief said. “That has gone over very well for the town so far.”

Two firefighters from the department were also sent to Lac-Megantic, Quebec, to help after the train derailment and fire that killed at least 47 people and destroyed 30 downtown buildings, Hall said.

“We sent Amanda Marchetti and Brett Osgood over there to help them out,” Hall said. “They did a great job helping out over there.”

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: Randy Hall, right, chief of the East Dixfield Fire Department, shakes hands with George Krause, regional sales manager of Globe Gear, at a ceremony Wednesday at the Temple Town Hall. The East Dixfield Fire Department was one of four volunteer outfits to be awarded new firefighter gear as part of a contest Globe Gear and DuPont Protection Technologies host annually.