The Damariscotta Board of Selectmen gave Fire Chief John Roberts the go-ahead Wednesday night, April 2 to pursue a grant that would purchase safety equipment for the department.

Roberts said the grant money would be used to purchase ladder belts, which secure firefighters to ladders.

“This is the same grant we applied for last year for the gas meters,” Roberts said. “This year (the grant) would be used to purchase ladder belts and energy absorbing lanyards.”

The current equipment has outlived its usefulness, Roberts said, and could soon pose a health risk.

“The older belts get rigid over time,” he said. “(If a firefighter fell) they would free-fall 6 or 12 feet, then there would be a sudden stop.”

The new belts would cushion a firefighter by absorbing more energy from the fall.

“This would enhance our safety at a height or on the ground,” Roberts said.

The cost of the belts and lanyards is $3,270 and the town would need to front $1,200 for the Maine Municipal Association to pick up the remainder of the bill.

The selectmen approved the motion, 4-0, with Selectmen’s Chairman Joshhua Pinkham abstaining.