Grant Funds New Safety Equipment for Public Works Employees

Great Barrington has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association (MIIA), the town’s property and casualty insurance provider, to fund safety and risk management activities and equipment.

Great Barrington used the grant funds to purchase six new chainsaw safety kits, including personal protective equipment (PPE) such as helmets with eye and ear protection, Kevlar chaps, safety glasses, and gloves. This equipment, which meets federal safety standards, is intended to reduce the risk of chainsaw injuries and will be used by the town's public works employees. The town also used the grant funds to install safety railings at the local transfer station.

“The new, upgraded PPE for chainsaw usage and safety railings at the transfer station will be a tremendous help in providing an enhanced safety environment for the town’s employees,” said Joe Aberdale, Great Barrington’s Department of Public Works superintendent. “The MIIA grant allows us to further ensure safer work practices and reduce risk – without impacting taxpayer dollars.”

For the 2024 fiscal year, MIIA awarded $1 million to fund over 150 grant requests from members for public safety activities and equipment. Municipalities were able to procure equipment to aid in property loss prevention, such as infrared cameras and moisture sensors, and to enhance cyber security efforts with assessments, training, and software solutions, among other initiatives.

“MIIA commends Great Barrington for its efforts to mitigate risk, protect property and people, and prevent financial losses,” said Stan Corcoran, MIIA Executive Vice President. “Through our grant program, we’re proud to partner with our members to identify common areas where we typically see insurance claims and provide solutions that lead to effectively mitigating these losses.”

The Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association is the non-profit insurance arm of the Massachusetts Municipal Association. As a member-based organization, MIIA’s focus is to provide excellent service and quality risk management solutions to nearly 400 cities, towns, and other public entities in Massachusetts. For more information please visit https://www.emiia.org/and www.mma.org.