Frazer volunteer fire departments get boost for equipment purchase and upkeep

The portable radios inside the vehicles at Frazer Volunteer Fire Department No. 2 are so old, members can’t find parts to repair them when something goes wrong.

“They’re one of the first models that Motorola made,” Chief Ryan Sieminski said. “They were in there way before I started, and that was 10 or 11 years ago.”

There are about 15 active members at No. 2, which operates together with Frazer Volunteer Fire Department No. 1 to protect the township.

The department plans to purchase new radios with money recently received through a state grant. The cost is about $500 each.

Doug Blinn, treasurer and lieutenant at No. 1, said his department also received grant money and plans to use it for vehicle repairs and upkeep.

“We will use the grant to replace leaf springs on our engine, replace batteries on our brush truck and replace tires on our squad truck,” Blinn said. “We are grateful to the state for this money as budgets get tighter every year.”

Each department will get about $13,000 through the Fire Company and Medical Services Grant Program, administered by the Office of the State Fire Commissioner.

Blinn, a firefighter for 31 years, said the funding helps with maintenance and purchases that otherwise would be a struggle for the members to implement.

There are about 12 volunteers with the No. 1 department.

Since the 1970s, the number of volunteer firefighters in Pennsylvania has dipped from 360,000 to fewer than 37,000, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

State Rep. Mandy Steele, whose 33rd legislative district includes Frazer, said the funding ensures volunteers will have the resources needed to respond to emergencies.

“These funds are especially important, considering there is a shortage of firefighters and EMS providers,” she said.