Leaders of four Mahoning Valley fire districts say their departments got shortchanged when pandemic relief funds were handed out. A Valley congressman says that’s because those who assembled the plan were more concerned about bigger cities than smaller communities.
The fire chiefs and a clerk say that stinks.
For example, with 2,300 calls responded to last year in the Canfield area by the Cardinal Joint Fire District, Chief Don Hutchison said he’s not pleased that the district received only $28,000 in COVID-19 relief funds — from Canfield Township.
While Hutchison is grateful for the infusion from the township since his staff put lives on the line during the coronavirus pandemic, other area joint fire districts in Mahoning and Trumbull counties received no direct COVID-19 relief funds. “We received one half of what was left over from Canfield Township.