State awards grants to Monroeville-area emergency service providers
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When a 10-year-old used pumper fire truck still costs about $170,000, a grant for $15,000 might not seem like a lot.
But it means plenty to local fire companies, according to Monroeville Volunteer Fire Company No. 4 Chief Logan Stadler.
“These grants are extremely beneficial,” Stadler said. “It helps us with getting new equipment, updating what we have and a multitude of other things that the money can be used for.”
Monroeville No. 4, along with the municipality’s No. 3 and No. 5 companies, all received $15,000 grants, part of $116,350 disbursed from the Office of the State Fire Commissioner’s Fire Company and Emergency Medical Service Grant program.
“We ordered a new truck last December, and the grant is going to help us outfit it with new equipment,” said West Wilmerding Fire Chief James Pusey. “We try to get the best bang for our buck. If we get $15,000, we make sure it all goes toward the things we need most at the station.”
State Rep. Brandon Markosek, D-Monroeville, announced nine total grants last month.
“We often take for granted that our first responders will be there when we need them most, but fire and EMS companies need our support so they can continue to answer the call,” Markosek said.
In addition to those awarded in Monroeville, the following grants were also issued:
• Plum Emergency Medical Service and Monroeville EMS, $8,325 each
• Pitcairn Fire Company No. 1, $12,708
• West Wilmerding Volunteer Fire Department, $12,000
• Wilmerding Volunteer Fire Department, $15,000
• United Volunteer Fire and Rescue, $14,992
Stadler said he plans to use this year’s grant funding to refurbish the company’s current rescue truck with some body work and safety features.
“The vehicle’s more than 20 years old, so we’re trying to do a couple things for upkeep,” he said.
His counterpart at Monroeville No. 5, Chief Ben Rudd, said his company will use the annual grants to continue paying down a loan on its 3,000-gallon tanker truck.
“We’ve responded everywhere from Armstrong to Allegheny to Westmoreland with that truck,” Rudd said. “It helps us, especially in places like the Turnpike where there’s no water. It’s very useful to have in those situations.”
Rudd said there are a number of categories that emergency service providers can use when applying for the grants. His company has traditionally used debt reduction.
“Every year we’re able to use this to help chip away at that loan,” Rudd said.