Grants Will Help PA Department Upgrade Equipment

A variety of new equipment, from New York hooks to pagers to bulletproof vests, is on its way to Meadville Central Fire Department thanks to two grants awarded to the department by the Office of the State Fire Commissioner.

City Council this week unanimously voted to accept the grants, one for nearly $13,500 and another for nearly $9,000.

Some of the tools are new to the department while others, like the pagers, will replace outdated equipment, according to Chief Patrick Wiley. All of the gear will help make the department's job easier, improve communications and leave the department "better equipped to serve," Wiley said inside the apparatus bay at Meadville Central on Friday.

"I have to again give kudos to Chief Wiley for seeking as many grant funds as he can," interim City Manager Gary Johnson told council on Wednesday. "He's going after quite a few and is fairly innovative in how he's gone about it."

Inside Meadville Central on Friday, Wiley displayed some of the equipment slated to be replaced. Pulling what looked like a steel pole about his height from the back of an engine, Wiley explained that New York hooks are a pry bar tool commonly used in firefighting for opening roofs.

Several off-duty firefighters sat nearby while out front, volunteers from West Mead sat next to one of their engines: Over the previous two hours crews from numerous departments in the area had been called to a motor vehicle crash and a devastating fire at the 698 Roadhouse bar near Edinboro. As a result, off-duty personnel had been asked to report and neighboring departments that were able were providing coverage for others that were responding to calls.

Among the more expensive equipment provided by the two grants are a hydraulic rescue tool that will enable easier entry into locked structures while minimizing damage to the structure, a portable air supply kit and a positive pressure ventilation fan. Also among the new equipment are 18 pagers and pager batteries and four bulletproof vests.

More often associated with law enforcement agents, bulletproof vests are becoming more common tools for fire departments, according to Wiley. The vests coming to Meadville Central are the department's first.

Departments are occasionally called to situations that involve the potential for violence, Wiley explained, and having four will mean that the crew members on duty at any given time will have access to one.

The grants for equipment are among several departmental efforts to find outside sources of funding, with the need to replace a 30-year-old engine and a 28-year-old aerial truck looming over City Council's discussion Wednesday of an upcoming three-year capital plan that could see the city borrowing nearly $5 million.

In addition to approving the grants during the meeting, council also approved an appropriation request being submitted to Sen. Bob Casey in hopes of obtaining federal funding to support the purchase of a new truck — a so-called "quint" truck that would combine the functions of an engine and an aerial. The vehicle, expected to cost approximately $900,000, carries a ladder, though it would not sport a bucket like the department's current aerial truck. Without a bucket, Wiley said, the smaller size of the vehicle would make it more easily maneuverable on city streets.

"We're trying to get a little creative in funding the aerial," Johnson told council during discussion of the appropriation request in Wednesday's meeting. Johnson described seeking the "earmark" appropriation, which will involve seeking support from Sen. Pat Toomey and Rep. Mike Kelly as well as state legislators, as "a very political process."

In another political effort, firefighter Evan Kardosh was busy early in the week during the days and hours leading up to election day as he attempted to rally support for a statewide referendum that would allow professional departments like Meadville Central to participate in a state loan program that has previously been open only to volunteer departments.

Kardosh serves as president of Local 515 of the international Association of Fire Fighters, the union that represents Meadville Central's firefighters. As the vote approached, he posted repeatedly to social media and contacted the media in an effort to rally support for the measure.

Late on Election Day, it looked as though the effort had succeeded. Unofficial results showed the referendum passing with nearly 73 percent voting in favor.

"Thank you for everyone that voted and helped spread the word," Kardosh posted on Facebook. "Looks like 70% in favor within Crawford county!"

Participation in the program could provide a low-interest loan of up to $350,000 toward purchase of a new vehicle for the department.

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