SOUTH ZANESVILLE - The South Zanesville Fire Department has secured a pair of Federal Emergency Management Agency grants with the help of U.S. Representative Troy Balderson (R-Zanesville). The first grant, a FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant will help replace aging Air-Pak equipment, the air tanks and masks firefighters use when entering burning buildings. 

The grant, for $140,000, will replace 21 complete sets of equipment, which includes masks, tanks, regulators, hoses and straps. The village will have to provide a match of $7,000.

"This gets everyone up to date," said Chris Kerby, the village's fiscal officer. Each of the firefighters in the department will get new gear thanks to the grant. As equipment ages, it begins to fall out of National Fire Protection Association compliance, and replacing it becomes a burden for small departments.

"That's stuff you just don't have in the budget," said Kerby.

The second grant, COVID-19 supplemental funding from FEMA, is for $2428.57, with the village match of $121.43. The grant will provide funding for personal protective equipment, such as masks, gowns and glove.

The village reached out to Balderson, who wrote a letter of support for the grant on behalf of the village. The letter was sent to FEMA head Peter Gaynor. "That helped us quite a bit in that process," said Kerby.

"We owe it to our first responders to ensure they have the personal protective equipment needed to serve our community," said Balderson. "I am proud to support South Zanesville Fire Department any way I can."