Dec. 12, North Acton Fire Station: A “Big Check” ceremony attended by local and state officials celebrated the awarding of $50,000 to upgrade the fire department’s emergency radio system, and replace fire turnout gear with non-PFAS equipment. The radio equipment will speed up response times and enable better communication among area fire departments.
PFAS, short for per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are the “forever” chemicals which are known carcinogens and have been used for decades in fire-resistant clothing, non-stick frying pans, food packaging, and scores of other items. They pose a cancer risk for firefighters, who have been documented to have more cancer cases than the general public. And they eventually leach into groundwater, which triggered the Massachusetts and federal governments to require cities and towns to upgrade their filtering systems, a step that Acton Water District began last spring with the opening of the PFAS treatment system at their North Acton plant. The Acton Exchange published several related articles on PFAS treatment, including the latest on July 12, 2024.
Officials attending the ceremony were: Acton Fire Chief Anita Arnum, State Representatives Dan Sena (37th Middlesex), Simon Cataldo (14th Middlesex), Select Board Chair Dean Charter, and Select Board Member Alissa Nicol.
James Conboy writes on a variety of topics for the Acton Exchange, from sports to government events.
