By Natalie Brophy
The Buffalo News
DEPEW, N.Y. — Depew firefighters will be able to better clean protective gear with help from a $32,000 federal grant.
The Depew Fire Department will soon be able to better protect the health of its firefighters with a new specialized industrial washer and dryer.
The department received a $32,000 federal grant to pay for the machines, which can better clean off soot, ash and toxins that accumulate on firefighters’ protective gear over time, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand announced this week.
Built-up grime makes protective gear less effective, while toxins pose serious dangers to the long-term health of firefighters. The industrial-grade washers and dryers are the best way to clean gear and remove these contaminants, according to a news release from Gillibrand’s office.
“Depew’s brave firefighters put themselves in danger to keep us safe,” the New York Democrat said. “We owe it to them to make sure they have the highest quality protective equipment available and the means to keep it functioning at its best.”
The grant was awarded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, which helps local departments acquire equipment, gear, vehicles and training.
Past Depew Fire Chief Scott Wegst applied for the grant it received, Mayor Kevin Peterson said.
“The challenges that local governments face to keep their firefighters as safe as possible while they volunteer their time to protect the residents and businesses of their community are numerous,” Peterson said. “There is the challenge of recruiting and training new volunteers. The challenge to provide the protective gear to outfit new volunteers. The challenge to provide the proper equipment, fire apparatus, fire stations, medical screenings and insurance protection for our volunteers. Searching for and obtaining funding to accomplish all of these things requires effort and at times thinking out-of-the-box.”
Gillibrand has pushed for additional funding for such grants. Last year, her office said, she helped secure 175 grants totaling $28.5 million for fire departments across the state.
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