Fire dept. gets $147K for safety equipment BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer MIDDLETOWN - Thanks to a recent $147,360 grant from the Department of Homeland Security, the township fire department will be able to purchase new safety gear. The matching grant, the second such one the township has received in the last three years, will be used to replace aging or obsolete equipment. New gear to be purchased in the near future includes five or six sets of turnout gear, consisting of jackets and pants, along with 11 new Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) packs, one for each of the town's 11 fire companies. The RIT packs come with self-contained breathing apparatus. Similar packs were purchased with the last grant from Homeland Security, which was worth $336,389. "We're glad we received this grant because it'll really help us do our jobs much more efficiently," township Fire Chief William Kennelly Jr. said. The township will also contribute toward the purchase of the items, as required under the grant guidelines. Other items to be purchased include face pieces, air cylinders and filters that are used in conjunction with the breathing equipment. "We are very proud that our fire department has been successful in receiving the funding under this highly competitive grant program for a second time," Mayor Gerard Scharfenberger said in a press release concerning the grant. "The grant will allow the township to enhance safety equipment provided to volunteer firefighters at a minimal cost to the community." Kennelly said after the first time his department applied for the grant, he was immediately looking forward to doing it again. "We try to be as self-sufficient as possible. Now, with the grant, this is less money we have to ask for in the budget," Kennelly said. "It feels good to have the Department of Homeland Security on our side. It's really helped us out twice now, and hopefully it can work for us again. Kennelly said that with over 500 active firefighters spread out over the 11 companies, he knows that every little bit can help. "I feel like our guys work hard at their jobs and so they're deserving of this grant," he said.