Congressman Tim Ryan Announces $545,114 for Youngstown, Bazetta, and Howland Fire Departments

Youngstown, Ohio – Congressman Tim Ryan (OH-13) today announced $545,114 in federal grant awards to the Youngstown, Bazetta, and Howland Fire Departments. The Youngstown Fire Department received $386,364 for vehicle acquisition, the Bazetta Fire Department received $103,894 for operations and safety, and the Howland Fire Department received $54,856 for operations and safety. This funding comes in the form of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

“There are few things more important than supporting services that help protect the lives of our families and friends, and the first responders who make that possible. Our firefighters are critical to our community as they put their lives on the line every day to ensure our safety. As a result, I always offer my support for AFG grants,” said Congressman Tim Ryan. “The funding from these grants will help provide the necessary resources to equip and train our firefighters so they can meet the needs of their departments and our community. I congratulate Fire Chiefs Barry Finley, Dennis Lewis, and James Pantalone for their hard work in obtaining these grants.”

“I would like to thank the firefighters, and union officials for their assistance. I would also like to thank Senator Sherrod Brown for his letter of support. I especially would like to thank Congressman Tim Ryan, he pushed really hard for us on this grant and all the grants we have received over the years,” said Youngstown Fire Chief Finley.

“We are very excited on receiving this Firefighter Assistance Grant. This grant will be utilized to replace obsolete equipment that our firefighters use daily to protect our community.  The Firefighter Assistance Grant is a great resource for small communities to equip there firefighters with current equipment,” said Bazetta Fire Chief Lewis.

“We are excited to be granted these funds to improve our rescue tool capabilities. The replacement of aged equipment is paramount for us to continue offering specialized rescue service to our community,” said Howland Fire Chief Pantalone.