← Appropriations & Oversight Committee · 2026-04-27 · Appropriations & Oversight Committee
Acceptance of a FY26 Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant in the amount of $12,375.87
Agenda original PDF
Minutes original PDF
B. (ID # 2026-773): Acceptance of a FY26 Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant in the amount of $12,375.87 Motion to Recommend made by Councilor Williams Seconded by Councilor Vandiver All were in favor and motion passed RESULTS: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS] TO: City Council AYES: Jason Chen, Cal Finocchiaro, Bradley Freeman, Maya Jamaleddine, Manjula Karamcheti, Elizabeth Kowal, Christopher Park, Devin Romanul, Kim Vandiver, Ryan Williams NAYS: None ABSENT: John Obremski Comments and Discussion: Cheif White proposed to utilize these funds to support the purchase of some critical life safety equipment, mainly 7 SCBA cylinders, self-contained breathing apparatus cylinders, and 3 multi-gas detection meters. The multi-gas meters are sophisticated devices that get used fairly a lot, so it's time to replace them when they get to the end of their life and we can't get any more parts or sensors for them. Additional funds from the city beyond this grant would cover other needs on the capital improvement plan. V. ORDERS
Transcript
▶ 49:32 Devin Romanul: this can just be... All right. All those in favor? Aye. All those opposed? The ayes have it, and this will be reported out to the full council meeting. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. I appreciate your time, and thank you for all that you do for our community, and for taking the time to volunteer for our city, and being here tonight. All right. Up next on our agenda, ID number 2026-773, acceptance of FY26 firefighter safety equipment grant in the amount of $12,375.87. Joining us this evening is Chief White. Thank you, Chief. Good evening. Good to see you.
▶ 50:15 Speaker 1: Hi. Melrose Fire Department has been awarded a grant from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, Department of Fire Services, in the amount of $12,375.87. And we propose to utilize these funds to support the purchase of some critical life safety equipment, mainly seven SCBA cylinders, those are self-contained breathing apparatus cylinders, and three multi-gas detection meters. I just came here to ask you to consider to accept this and approve this award. I'd be happy to answer any questions. These are very good things that we use almost every day at the fire department. Naturally, cylinders, we always need supply of air when we respond to fires. And the multi-gas meters, they always come in handy. Most homes, luckily in Melrose, have CO detectors, and when they go off, we get called, and we can verify if it really is CO, or maybe their meter is not working properly. And also, for natural gas detection. We use those all the time. They're pretty sophisticated devices. And naturally, they get used fairly a lot, so it's time we have to replace them when they get to the end of their life and we can't get any more parts or sensors
▶ 51:35 Devin Romanul: for them. And take any questions. Thank you very much. Up first, I have Councilor Finocchiaro.
▶ 51:40 Cal Finocchiaro: Thank you. Thank you for being here. I just have a quick question. It's great that we received this grant to cover the safety equipment. Do you foresee there's any additional funds from the city to go towards this equipment?
▶ 51:58 Speaker 1: We have put in for, in the capital improvement project, we put in for also SCBA harnesses, the whole pack, but also more spare bottles. Come in very handy when we had a fire in January one night, and we used up all our spare bottles putting the fire out. And unfortunately, we had mutual aid covering the city, but as we rolled back into the station to refill all our bottles, we got another call from the house fire. Fortunately, the mutual aid companies were able to respond, but we were caught flat-footed. We didn't have any bottles filled with air. We had to fill up the bottles we had up. And so these bottles will be used as our spare bottles. We'll keep the station to just swap in and out as we need to get back in service as fast as possible.
▶ 52:48 Cal Finocchiaro: Okay. So this amount will cover a certain amount of equipment- Yes ... but then you have another request on the capital. Okay.
▶ 52:54 Speaker 3: Thank you.
▶ 52:55 Devin Romanul: Terrific. Up next, I have Councilor Williams.
▶ 52:58 Speaker 4: Yeah. Motion to recommend to the full council.
▶ 53:00 Devin Romanul: Second. Motion to recommend by Councilor Williams, seconded by Councilor Vandiver. On discussion. Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll?
▶ 53:10 Speaker 2: Vice Chair Vandiver? Yes. Councilor Chen? Yes. Councilor Finocchiaro? Yes. Councilor Jamaleddine? Yes. Councilor Karamcheti? Yes. Councilor Kowal? Yes. Councilor Park? Yes. Councilor Williams? Yes. President Freeman? Yes. Chair Romanul? Yes. Motion passes.
▶ 53:27 Devin Romanul: All right. The motion passes and will be brought before the next full council meeting with a recommendation for passage. Thank you, Chief. Appreciate your time. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you, folks. All right. Last and not least, ID number 2026-774, that the city authorize the mayor to enter into an intermunicipal agreement for establishing a regional animal control officer position in partnership with the towns of Wakefield and Stoneham. Joining us this evening is Mr. Anthony Chu. Thank you so much for joining us.