Boston City Council panel reviews $2.7 million in Boston Fire Department grants

BOSTON — June 11, 2024 — Boston City Council's Public Safety Committee reviews full slate of Boston Fire Department grants, with three dockets totaling more than $2.7 million awaiting full council votes. Committee Chair Henry Santana convened the June 11 meeting to cover all fire department grants in a single session, including a $16,825 federal port security grant for ASHER ballistic gear, a $1,604,014.20 state hazardous materials grant, and a $1,125,000 state training academy grant — both of the latter reduced from their expected amounts by a 9C state budget cut that slashed one funding line by 50 percent. Procurement and grants manager Julie Burran-Devin also disclosed that a SAFER grant covering straight-time wages for 85 firefighters expires in February 2025, creating a looming budget gap. Councillor Erin J. Murphy raised a procedural concern about reviewing grants not formally on the docket, saying she did not want to "take away our power and the ability to learn" as grants come before the council individually. No votes were taken; the three dockets now proceed to the full council, with the hazmat and training grants subject to a June 30 spending deadline.