VIDEO: Long-awaited help is on the way for the East Liverpool Fire Department. After more than a decade of trying, the department finally landed a federal $600,000 SAFER grant.
โIโm like, โHoly cow. I canโt believe we got this,’โ said Chief Antony Cumo. โIt was a big long shot. Weโve applied for it several times over the last 15 years.โ
The money will fund three new firefighting positions and fill one existing vacancy. โIt absolutely changes the dynamic of how we can run calls. Weโre going to be able to handle more calls at one time,โ Cumo said.
The boost is critical, as the department currently runs two shifts with five firefighters and one with just four. Itโs barely enough to respond to one emergency, let alone more. โThereโs a lot of times when just one call gets the station out of service,โ Cumo said.
And the demand is only rising. Cumo says over the past 11 years, call volume has jumped more than 400%, but staffing hasnโt kept up. โWeโve only added 15% for our staffing. So, weโve added two extra people to handle 424% more calls,โ Cumo said.
The new hires will finally allow the department to staff its ladder truck with four firefighters for structure fires and a second ambulance when calls overlap.
