West Deer Fire Chief Luke Raynovich breathes a sigh of relief with every dollar donated to his department.
“It takes some of the financial burden off,” said Raynovich, chief of West Deer No. 1. “With the fire department being volunteer, there is always stress with money and needing to update to the newest most modern equipment.”
The group was awarded about $12,200 from the Office of the State Fire Commissioner, which they will use to replace “expired” turnout gear.
The money was among nearly $45,000 doled out to the township’s three volunteer companies. The annual funding provides money to take the weight off first responders and their constant need to raise money.
West Deer No. 2 and No. 3 will use the money for debt reduction, officials said.
West Deer No. 2 Chief Anthony Creaturo plans to use the $15,200 grant towards its 2021 Spartan tanker.
The department pays $32,000 a year in financing.
“This grant is super important,” he said. “We wouldn’t be able to make the truck payment without it. We count on it as part of our budget these days.”
Creaturo said his crew, comprising about 28 active and 10 social members, works on small fundraisers and direct mail solicitations throughout the year to pay the balance of the truck installments.
“At one time, we didn’t know how we could afford a new truck but this works out well for us,” he said.
In all, more than $800,000 in state fire grants were distributed locally. Money is to be used for facilities, equipment, training and other needs.
Local services to benefit from the program include East Deer Volunteer Fire Department, which received about $12,000, and Springdale Volunteer Fire Department, which got about $12,800.
Raynovich said some of his crew will get new gear in coming weeks.
One full set of coats, pants, gloves and boots costs up to $3,500 and needs to be replaced after about 10 years.
“While we still fundraise and do our best to make money to have for the gear and other necessary equipment, we are thankful for this,” Raynovich said.
State Sen. Lindsey Williams lamented that grants haven’t kept up with the rising costs of fire operations.
“The state must do more to help departments meet today’s challenges and that includes incentivizing and funding mergers of services where it makes fiscal and practical sense,” she said.
Josh Wiegand, chief at West Deer No. 3, said his department will use the $16,300 for debt reduction on the new fire station.
Wiegand and his crew moved to the former Krigger & Co. site along Gibsonia Road after buying it for $1.8 million in 2021.
“We chose to use our grant to lower the principal balance on our mortgage,” Wiegand said. “That saves us funding that can be used for other operational things like gear or training.”
He said the second phase of renovations at the station will kick off in spring.
Work will include enclosing a 5,000-square-foot canopy in the rear of the building. The project is expected to cost more than $1 million but be paid through a $750,000 grant through U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio’s office and a $250,000 grant from the Gaming and Economic Development Tourism Fund.
“We’re just waiting for some warmer weather to get started,” Wiegand said.