‘Definitely a blessing’: Taylorstown VFD receives firefighter gear
Firefighters are among the first to put their lives on the line in an emergency, but with rising equipment costs, volunteer fire departments often struggle to find the funding to purchase new gear to protect their firefighters.
So members of the Taylorstown Volunteer Fire Department were thrilled when they found out the department was awarded new turnout gear and helmets through MSA Safety and DuPont Personal Protection’s Globe Gear Giveaway.
The fire department was one of 13 fire departments nationwide to receive four sets of gear and fire helmets.
“It’s definitely a blessing. It helps out tremendously,” said Taylorstown VFD Chief Josh McDonough. “To be one of 13 nationwide to get the gear means the world to us because funding-wise, we’re just not there, so we rely on the township and on donations to help support us. This helps us out big-time.”
The Globe Giveaway aims to help departments that face limited budgets and resources that prevent them from securing sufficient quantities of gear and/or force them to use gear that is out of date and not compliant with safety standards.
Taylorstown also received two sets of turnout gear and helmets donated by Range Resources Inc., bringing the total number of new gear to six sets, with an estimated value of $20,000.
The department has about 11 active volunteer firefighters and five junior volunteer firefighters. McDonough said the firefighters need safety-compliant uniforms to attend trainings, and “now that these folks are up to date with that, they can further their education, so that’s important for them.”
On Monday, a representative from DuPont Personal Protection arrived at the fire station to size the four Taylorstown firefighters for their uniforms.
Among those who were fitted was Josh McDonough’s son, Cameron McDonough, who joined the department as a junior firefighter nearly three years ago and is now a regular volunteer.
“Honestly, getting the new gear means a lot to me. I’ve been in the fire service for almost three years and I’ve had ‘Frankenstein gear,’ this person’s jacket and that person’s pants, so it’s good to know I have my own gear that fits me and that if I have to go into a fire, I’m in gear that isn’t too big and that I am ready to go and should be OK,” said McDonough, a senior at McGuffey High School who is considering pursuing firefighting as a full-time career.
“I really like helping people a lot. (Firefighting) was something for me to do outside of school. My dad talks about it a lot, and I like that there’s something different you face all the time,” said McDonough. “And it does give me a chance to help my community.”
Taylorstown VFD is a rural fire department serving an area that includes 2,608 residents, 14 miles of interstate and more than 5,000 acres of forest. In addition to fire calls, the company assists with medical emergencies, weather emergencies, and other duties. Several of the firefighters have earned national EMS licenses and maintain a medic unit within the fire company.
Since 2012, 767 sets of turnout gear and 312 helmets have been awarded to 173 through the Globe Gear Giveaway.
Said Ben Mauti, a spokesperson for MSA Safety, “We’re proud to be supporting this program and helping to improve safety for firefighters at fire departments that are the most in need, so these firefighters have the protective equipment they need when their community calls on them for help.”