Utica Mayor Michael Galime’s administration is allocating Community Development Block Grant funds to support the Utica Fire Department’s safety gear line in this year’s budget, according to a statement from the mayor’s office.
The decision came shortly after comments made by a councilor during a Utica budget meeting angered the members of the Utica Fire Department, prompting a response from the local firefighter’s union.
“In consultation with Commissioner of Urban & Economic Development Brian Thomas, it was determined that CDBG funds could be used to purchase the turnout gear that the fire department currently needs, as we have in the past,” the statement from the mayor’s office read. “This approach ensures that the department receives necessary equipment without exceeding the allocated budget line. Mayor Galime recognizes that in the last two budget cycles, this line item was reduced by the Council and acknowledges that it was underfunded during those budgets.”
At the Feb. 26 budget meeting, Fire Chief Scott Ingersoll spoke to the Common Council about PFAS — a cancer-causing chemical — found in firefighter turnout gear and the need to begin replacements.
According to the statement from the mayor’s office, there is enough funding in combination with the CDBG to fulfill the recommendation by Chief Ingersoll and acquire turn-out gear that doesn’t have PFAS materials.
“It is not necessary to change the $100,000 budgeted amount for the Utica Fire Department’s safety gear line, as long as it is not reduced,” the statement read. “We appreciate the council’s attention to this matter and your continued support of the Utica Fire Department and its personnel.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Galime’s administration funds new firefighter turnout gear in Utica
Reporting by Casey Pritchard, Utica Observer Dispatch / Observer-Dispatch
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