A group of 14 Butler County fire departments was hoping to receive $2 million to replace obsolete radios, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency rejected the application this week.
“We are disappointed that we were not awarded the grant but understood going in that (Assistance to Firefighters Grants) are very competitive,” said Liberty Twp. Fire Chief Ethan Klussman, whose department led the grant effort.
The departments sought the $2 million grant to buy about 530 emergency responder radios. Their contribution would have been a 10% match. Butler County officials found out three years ago they were facing a $19.2 million bill to replace the obsolete public safety communications system and about 3,000 radios that sheriff’s deputies, police, firefighters and others all carry. Motorola stopped making the old radios and said it wouldn’t service them beyond 2018.