Brookside Fire Department Hoping for $800K in Grants | News, Sports, Jobs

Photo Provided – The Brookside Fire Department’s fire engine was purchased in 1995. The fire chief plans to apply for a $770,000 grant in hopes of purchasing a new engine for the village.

BROOKSIDE — The Brookside Fire Department is hoping to secure more than $800,000 through grant funds in order to purchase new gear, equipment and a new fire engine.

Fire Chief Allan Ketzell III asked council Monday for its approval to move forward with applying for a few different grants to replace some of the department’s older gear and equipment. He said they will be required to put up matching funds for some of the grants, but if they are unable to come up with the funds they can always decline the grant when the time comes.

“If we got the grant and we decide we don’t have the money to do that, then we just don’t accept it,” he added

Ketzell said the first grant he is hoping to secure is through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to purchase fire equipment.

“It’s a 50/50 grant and the max that you could get is $20,000 so we would have to put up $10,000. That would be for turnout gear, an electric chainsaw and an electric cutoff saw,” he said, adding that they do have the matching funds.

The second grant the department plans to apply for is through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cover the remaining cost of the turnout gear.

“Our turnout gear is only good for 10 years, and our turnout gear was purchased in 2006. This way we were able to put in for the turnout gear and we only have to put up 5 percent of what the cost is for the turnout gear which will be under $50,000,” he said.

Ketzell said they also plan to apply for another FEMA grant in the amount of $770,000 for the purchase of a new fire engine.

“Our fire engine is coming up on 27 years old. We purchased that fire engine for $166,183, we’ve put in roughly half of that already in maintenance and repairs through the life of that engine,” he said, adding that a match of $38,000 would be required should they be awarded the funds.

He said there is no other option than to apply for the funds if they are to purchase a new fire engine. This is the second time Ketzell has applied for the funding — the department was denied in 2020. It typically takes around a year before the department learns if they are awarded the funds.

“The way the FEMA grant works is that I’ll put in for it, say on Friday, and it’s going to be a whole year before it’s awarded and then a whole year after that until you have to spend the money. We’re looking at something right now that would not be done until more or less 2024,” he said.

Mayor Rich Kurner noted that the cost of the new engine would be lower than previously as the department will no longer require a specialty sized engine to fit into the current department. A levy passed in the village that will allow the fire department to construct a new facility on the corner of Patterson and National roads.

Council unanimously approved each of the requests to apply for the grants.