Youngstown and Austintown fire departments received federal grants

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown and Austintown fire departments received federal grants through the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.

Youngstown received $372,013 and Austintown received $71,593, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th, announced Wednesday.

“The money will be used for the purchase of new SCBAs [self-contained breathing apparatus] which are one of the most vital pieces of equipment a fire department uses for the safety of our personnel,” said Youngstown Battalion Chief Gary DiTullio. “Our current units are aging and in need of frequent repair, so this grant will ease a financial burden facing us with needing to upgrade.”

In Austintown, the money will be used “to replace structural firefighting turn-out gear that has reached its mandated maximum 10-year lifespan,” said Fire Chief Andy Frost. “Our department relies heavily on alternative funding sources such as this grant. For more than a decade, this grant has dramatically increased the safety of our firefighters.”