The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday voted unanimously to support the New Canaan Fire Department’s application for federal funds that would allow for the purchase of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors for town residents.
A Federal Emergency Management Agency “Assistance to Firefighters-Fire Prevention and Safety Grant” will allow the department to purchase about 1,000 detectors with New Canaan paying 5 percent of the cost—a breakdown of $6,477 for the feds and $323 for the town, according to Fire Chief Jack Hennessey.
The Fire Department applied last year for the grant but was denied, Hennessey told the selectmen at their regular meeting, held at Town Hall.
Asked why, he said: “It’s a competitive grant.”
“Other people had bigger priorities and bigger projects last time,” the fire chief continued. “They spent most of the money on research they’re giving to universities to do fire safety research. And they gave away $1 million grants which ate up the fund, which is a limited fund, really quickly and there was not a lot of money for our purposes. This looks like a worthwhile project and we are going to submit a grant request.”
First Selectman Kevin Moynihan and Selectmen Kit Devereaux and Nick Williams voted in favor of making the application.
Asked by Williams whether the detectors are given out on a first-come, first-served basis, Hennessey said, “No, it’s basically people in need.”
“People that request them,” he said. “When we go on calls, if we go to somebody’s house for a problem, we always look to make sure that everybody has a smoke detector if they don’t we will leave them one. If they have one that is malfunctioning, we will leave one that works, just to make sure they are safe in their own home.”
The $323 portion that the town would pay for the detectors is in the Fire Department’s current budget, Hennessey said.
It wasn’t clear whether there’s an application fee or when the grant money is made available. Firefighters on Saturday held a batteries giveaway for those who need them for detectors, courtesy of New Canaan Firefighters, Local 3224.