By Rich Hewitt
Bangor Daily News

BUCKSPORT, Maine — A grant from the Department of Homeland Security will allow the Bucksport Fire Department to purchase a pair of high-tech binoculars that can be used in a number of different capacities.

The department is one of 16 local police and fire departments in Maine that will receive a total of $256,356 in funding through the DHS Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program, which provides equipment and training for small and rural communities.

The allocation of $12,936 will allow the department to obtain a pair of Steadi-eye Gyro-Stabilized Binoculars which are equipped with night vision eye pieces and can be used in a number of different situations, according to Bucksport Fire Chief Craig Bowden. Bowden selected the binoculars from a list of specific items available through the CEDAP funding.

With a paper mill in town, the department is always conscious of the possibility of an accident involving hazardous materials, Bowden said.

"In a haz-mat accident, you're not supposed to just drive up to it," he said. "You're supposed to stay back and look at it to see what it was carrying and if it is leaking. That's difficult to do with regular binoculars, especially at night."

Earlier this year, the Fire Department used CEDAP funds to purchase six haz-mat safety suits and to send one firefighter to Texas for training on how to use them.

The gyro-stabilization feature on the binoculars also will be helpful in search and rescue efforts, Bowden said.

"If you're looking for somebody and you're in a helicopter or in a boat on the river, it takes out that motion, that jiggle," he said.

While the binoculars are not equipment the department will use every day, Bowden said it would be an important asset for firefighters when they have to handle an emergency.

"We don't want a lot of equipment around here that we're not going to use," he said. "This is one of those things that you don't know what you can do until you realize you have that capability."

The department also has received two other grants recently. The Maine Municipal Association awarded the town $1,920 through its Safety Enhancement Grant and Scholarship Grant programs. The enhancement program provides funds to purchase safety equipment or services that help reduce the frequency and severity of workplace injuries.

The department will use the funds, which require a 50 percent match from the town, to purchase a variety of safety belts and harnesses for fire and rescue crews.

The department also received a $2,625 training grant from the State Emergency Response Commission that will be used for a haz-mat operations refresher course.

Copyright 2007 Bangor Daily News