Kingsville Fire Department receives FEMA grant

KINGSVILLE TOWNSHIP — The township’s fire department will be able to purchase new equipment thanks to a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The fire department received a $116,561 grant from FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. The funds will be used to purchase new hoses and new respirators, said Chief Dave West.

Most of the department’s hoses are hand-me-downs from the 1990s, West said.

“As we are doing our hose testing, we find more and more sections that are in need of attention,” West said.

The air tanks in the department’s current respirators are close to being out-of-date, West said. The tanks, which are made of a composite material, can only be tested for 15 years, he said. The department’s current tanks are one or two years away from that 15 year limit, West said.

The department is currently testing out new respirators from different manufacturers, West said.

To receive the grant, the township trustees will have to pass a resolution accepting the funds.

West thanked Will Anderson, who was hired by the department to write the grant.

“He made the process exceptionally [smooth],” West said. “There’s a lot of intricate details that go into that kind of stuff,” he added later. West also thanked former Kingsville Fire Chief Jesse Sopko, who started the application process.

Congressman Dave Joyce, who represents Ashtabula County, released a statement after the grant awards were announced. Fire departments in Joyce’s district received $2.2 million in AFG grant funds, according to the statement.

“Each and every day the brave men and women of our fire departments, whether they be firefighters or first responders, continue to serve and protect our communities despite the threat that COVID-19 poses,” Joyce said in the statement.

“However, when I talk with fire departments across Northeast Ohio, I often hear about the funding and personnel challenges their departments face. That’s why I’m proud to support the AFG program so that the brave men and women who put their lives on the line to keep our families and communities safe are protected and adequately equipped while on the job.”