Fire Departments Awarded Grants to Buy Protective Equipment

Thirty-nine Ohio fire departments will share nearly $377,000 in grants from the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation under a new program that aims to reduce firefighters’ exposure to toxins. The new Firefighter Exposure to Environmental Elements Grant Program will provide $2 million a year to help departments purchase safety gear and equipment designed to protect firefighters from carcinogens and other harmful elements, the BWC said Tuesday in a press release. Residue collected on firefighters’ gear during a blaze can cause respiratory disease, cancer and other ailments, so it&r...