Thanks to a substantial grant award by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the town of Beacon Falls, Beacon Hose will soon put into service new — and urgently needed — vehicle extrication equipment.

FEMA awarded to Beacon Falls on Jan. 6 an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) in the amount of $64,463. With the town’s match of about $3,200, Beacon Hose will soon be able to acquire state-of-the-art spreaders, cutters, rams, and stabilization equipment.

A substantial portion of Beacon Hose’s emergency responses are for motor vehicle accidents on Route 8. It’s no secret that the stretch of highway that runs through our town is a frequent spot for accidents, and the new equipment will not only improve our emergency capabilities, but it will lessen our reliance on some equipment that has been in service for more than 30 years. Metro North’s Waterbury railroad line also runs through town.