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Liberty seeks funding for new station
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Liberty Township Trustee Jodi Stoyak
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Liberty Township Administrator Pat Ungaro
A new central fire station would provide many benefits, including cutting response times.
LIBERTY — Pat Ungaro, township administrator, believes “putting a face to a project” can only help when legislators are doling out government money.
That’s why he, township Trustee Jodi Stoyak and Fire Chief Michael A. Durkin took a road trip recently to Washington, D.C., to make a pitch for money to fund a new central fire station in the township.
Ungaro said they met with U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, and his chief of staff and the chief of staff for U.S. Sen. George V. Voinovich, a Republican from Cleveland. They also attended a constituents’ coffee held Thursdays by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Avon, where they spoke to him and staff members.
“My role in this is that I know these people. I have the connections,” said Ungaro, who made various political inroads when he served as mayor of Youngstown.
Durkin said he and a grant-writer are preparing the material to apply for a $1.5 million grant that is part of the Stimulus Package and administered through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Fire Administration and Federal Emergency Management Agency. The deadline to submit information is July 10.
“We’ve gotten $200,000 from the Fire Act Grant over the years,” Durkin said. “We’re trying to get a piece of the $210 million available,” he said.
Ungaro, Stoyak and Durkin stressed one factor. A new fire station, built on the 11-acre property where Liberty Township Administration building is located at 1315 Church Hill-Hubbard Road, would be centrally located. The township has one fire station operating from Logan Way and another at the corner of Belmont and Tibbets Wick Road.
One new fire station would provide multiple benefits. “A station located at the township building property would offer better overall response time,” Durkin said.
The department has the chief and 14 full-time firefighters, four to five part timers and a couple of volunteers. Eleven of the 15 career firefighters are paramedics. The department responds to some 2,000 calls annually.
Durkin, who has been chief for seven years, said fire chiefs from years ago had recommended a central station. “We’ve been trying since 2005 to build one,” he said of his watch.
“We have two old buildings. Money has to go into them to keep them afloat. One fire station would reduce costs,” Stoyak said. Durkin said a new station would be energy-efficient because of choices that would be made for windows, lighting, roof and insulation.
Another factor that might help the township is that it has laid the groundwork. It has the property and architect, Baker and Bednar of Howland, and letters of support from legislators lined up.
Ungaro said once a new station is built, the old stations would be sold or converted to another uses such as senior centers.