On Feb. 11, the Pennsylvania Office of the State Fire Commissioner notified the Berwyn and Paoli Fire Companies that they are recipients of funds as part of the Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services Grant. This annual grant program will award a total of $62,242.04 to the two fire companies.
Fire companies and emergency medical services (EMS) across Pennsylvania can apply for the grant each year, with the amount of funds that each station receives varying slightly from year to year. The Berwyn and Paoli fire stations apply for the grant every September or October and receive a notification in the spring regarding whether they will receive the funds at the beginning of the next year.
“Any fire company and any EMS organizations are eligible to apply. You just have to go on to the State Fire Commissioner’s website, and then you just log in, create an account,” Paoli Fire Company fire chief Andrea Testa said. “Then you just have to answer questions about your fire company, your community that you serve and what you want to use the funds for.”
This year, the Berwyn Fire Company will receive $16,322.02 for its fire company and $15,000 for its EMS department, while the Paoli Fire Company will receive $16,322.02 for its fire company and $14,598 for its EMS department. Berwyn fire station’s EMS captain Michael Baskin said that compared with a fire company’s overall spending, such as Berwyn’s annual budget of $2.7 million, these grants may not seem as impactful. Still, he appreciates the assistance the funds give in decreasing operational costs and aiding first responders.
The Berwyn fire station will use its grants to help pay for gasoline costs. Baskin said that last year, the company chose to use the funds for the same reason due to high prices. After tearing down the fire station last May to be rebuilt, the company will also use the fire grant to pay for the construction of its new fire station.
“The last three years, and this would be the fourth, the fire contribution that we’ve had is going into a savings account to put towards the building,” Baskin said. “At some point in time this year we’ll take all four of those years and take that out of the savings to pay towards the building. You’re talking maybe 60 or so thousand dollars over four years.”
The National Fire Protection Association mandates that fire companies replace all protective clothing and equipment every 10 years at the latest. The Paoli Fire Company will combine both its fire station and EMS grants this year to pay for the replacement of its first responders’ helmets and Nomex fire-resistant hoods.
“They’re super helpful — that way we don’t have to use other funds that we either have to fundraise for or it’s taxpayer money,” Testa said. “These additional grants, even though they’re small, they definitely help us.”
Ashley Du can be reached at [email protected].
