Limestone Fire Department will receive new fire gear thanks to COVID-19 relief funds

LIMESTONE, Maine (WAGM) - A local fire department in Aroostook County will be receiving new firefighting gear.

Recently the Limestone Fire Department got the news they will be receiving three new sets of firefighting gear thanks to federal COVID-19 relief funds that the town has received. The Limestone selectboard voted to allocate $7,000 of the town’s $230,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to purchase the gear. Limestone Fire Chief, Jon Poitras, says the timing worked out perfect.

Jon Poitras, Limestone Fire Chief, says: It’s a great opportunity to spend some money to upgrade some turnout gear for firefighters and not utilize taxpayer funding. The ARPA funds came through COVID money, through the federal government to the towns. So it gives us an opportunity to spend $7,000 dollars of that money which will give us about three sets of new turnout gear, and that’s what I have expiring this year.

Poitras adds the National Fire Protection Association recommends that turnout gear is replaced every ten years based on its manufactured date. He mentions this year there was going to be three sets of gear expiring, so the timing worked out perfectly. He is excited to receive the gear and is looking forward to seeing the Fire Department grow.

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