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Coatesville fire chief: $59,000 grant awarded and manufacturer commit avoids $100,000-per-truck cost
Summary
Fire Chief Peter Huf reported the department received a Department of Community and Economic Development grant of about $59,000 for radios and EMS equipment and said Seagrave committed to supply compliant chassis/motors that avoid roughly $100,000 in additional emissions-compliance costs per truck for two ordered apparatus.
Fire Chief Peter Huf told council the Fire Department responded to 119 emergencies in October and that the city has been awarded a Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) grant of nearly $59,000 to update radios, border rescue equipment and EMS gear. "We are the recipient of a Department of Community and Economic Development grant that was first applied for in 2024, in the amount of close to $59,000," Huf said.
Huf also said manufacturer Seagrave committed to put the required motor and compliant chassis together for two ordered fire trucks so the city will avoid installing newer emissions-compliant motors that he estimated would have added about $100,000 per truck. "What this does is we will not need to put the new motors in the trucks that are a new emissions compliance, which would have cost roughly about $100,000 extra per truck," Huf said.
The chief described additional department work: recruiting to fill vacancies, planned civil-service testing, and partnership with the Red Cross on a "Sound the Alarm" campaign to distribute and install free smoke detectors in the spring. He also promoted a Dec. 12 "Battle of the Badges" blood drive in the council chamber to support regional blood supplies.
Huf said the grant funds and the procurement assurances are intended to bolster radios, rescue equipment and EMS capacity for the city's Quick Response Service team.
Next steps: the department will proceed with apparatus procurement under the current timeline, coordinate hiring and civil-service testing, and plan the Red Cross smoke-detector outreach in spring.
