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North Canaan receives $2,500 grant for firefighter training equipment

North Canaan receives $2,500 grant for firefighter training equipment

First Selectman Jesse Bunce (left) and North Canaan Fire Company representative Isaac Freund display a $2,500 check from the Northwest Community Bank Foundation.

Provided

NORTH CANAAN – North Canaan has been awarded a $2,500 grant from the Northwest Community Bank Foundation to help fund the purchase of specialized equipment for the North Canaan Fire Company, First Selectman Jesse Bunce announced earlier this month.

The fire company plans to purchase a Multi-Force Forcible Entry Door training system, which allows firefighters to practice breaching doors and entering buildings under realistic emergency conditions.

The training system allows firefighters to practice forcible-entry techniques on both inward- and outward-opening doors with metal and wooden jambs, replicating conditions commonly encountered during emergency responses.

The planned purchase includes a Multi-Force training door system, crush-door training slabs and a mobile wheel system. The total cost of the project is estimated at approximately $10,960.

“This is an important investment in firefighter preparedness and public safety,” Bunce said. “Our volunteer firefighters put themselves on the line for the community every day, and providing them with high-quality, realistic training tools helps ensure they are prepared to respond safely and effectively when seconds matter most.”

Town officials said the grant will help strengthen the fire company's capabilities while reducing the financial burden of acquiring the specialized equipment.

“The North Canaan Fire Company is an essential part of our town,” Bunce said. “We’re grateful to the Northwest Community Bank Foundation for recognizing the importance of ongoing firefighter training and supporting the dedicated volunteers who serve North Canaan.”

Christian Murray
Executive Editor

Christian Murray is executive editor of The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News. A graduate of the Columbia Journalism School, he is a veteran journalist, founding the Queens Post and its network of neighborhood news sites—including the Sunnyside Post, Astoria Post, LIC Post and Jackson Heights Post—and helping pioneer hyperlocal digital journalism in New York City. Before joining LJMN in 2025, he served as managing editor at Schneps Media, overseeing amNewYork, the Queens Courier, the Bronx Times and other local publications. Earlier in his career, Murray was a political reporter for Newsday and a business reporter for Reuters. A native of New Zealand, he says northwest Connecticut reminds him of the landscapes where he grew up—a connection that made the region feel like home from the start.

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