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Glen Dale Fire Department Getting New Safety Equipment

Photo by Drew Parker Clayton Dietrich of the Glen Dale Volunteer Fire Department displays both new and old self-contained breathing apparatus at the department Friday. A federal grant provided funds for the new equipment.

Members of the Glen Dale Volunteer Fire Department are able to breathe a little easier thanks to more than $100,000 in federal funding.

Earlier this month, Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., announced four fire departments would receive more than $1 million in funds to enhance fire prevention and safety operations through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant. The Glen Dale VFD received $109,837, while the Hundred Volunteer Fire Department received $285,715, the Green Valley Fire Department  $41,572  and the Shepherdstown Volunteer Fire Department received $785,715.

According to Glen Dale Fire Chief Richard Schoene, the funds will provide new self-contained breathing apparatus and air tanks for four of the department’s five trucks. He added the department recently purchased a new pumper system for a fifth truck in March, but the other four were still left with nearly 15-year-old breathing technology.

“It’s a safety device with personal protective equipment that you need to have for structure fires, automobile fires and hazardous material situations,” Schoene said. “Our existing apparatuses are approaching the end of their life cycle and the bottles are getting ready to expire. The grant is very vital to all fire departments, paid or volunteer, to assist in updating equipment and training for the Fire Service Organization since they started it about 15 years ago.”

Glen Dale firefighter Clayton Dietrich said grant funding is essential to the survival of area departments. He added the new equipment will include voice amplifiers and alarms designed to sound when a firefighter hasn’t moved for 30 seconds. “Departments struggle to pay for things like this,” Dietrich said. “If it wasn’t for receiving grants everyone doing their job would have inadequate equipment.”

The senators said they know how vital programs such as the Assistance to Firefighters Grant are to local communities.

Attempts to reach officials with the Hundred VFD for comment were unsuccessful.

“Day after day the dedicated volunteers at our local fire departments help protect our local communities in West Virginia,” Manchin said. “As a former volunteer for the Marion County Rescue Squad, I witnessed firsthand the incredibly honorable hard work and commitment first responders demonstrate every single day. With these grants, our fire departments will have access to state-of-the-art protection and rescue equipment, as well as the professional training needed to respond to all types of emergencies.”

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