SALAMANCA — The Salamanca Fire Department is looking to update self-contained breathing apparatus equipment through the help of a nearly $60,000 grant.
The Common Council Wednesday authorized the submission of a FEMA Assistance to Firefighters grant application for funds to replace the fire department’s air compressor, fill station and bottles — all costing $59,140.
Fire Chief Nicholas Bocharski said the current equipment from the mid-1980s is serviceable, but the person who fixes and maintains it said it’s time to purchase new equipment.
“The city bought a good unit, that’s why it’s lasted this long,” he said. He added that the new equipment they look to purchase is “top of the line.”
Fire Commission Chair Sandra Magiera, D-Ward 4, said the grant would cover $56,324 of the cost and the city would be responsible for contributing $2,816.
Bocharski said the Board of Public Utilities would assist in helping the fire department in wiring up the fill station, which would save the city money.
The city also accepted a quote from Lincoln Archives, Inc., of Buffalo, for document scanning services for the city’s code enforcement office files.
Bocharski said the process would make the codes and assessor’s offices substantially more effective. He said Code Enforcement Officer Brandon Smith would often have to spend lots of time physically searching through files and calling the assessor to help run files for him.
“He could now be out on his computer in the field, hook up to wi-fi and look up the files,” he said. “It really would speed him up.”
Lincoln Archives estimated it would cost between $13,050 and $14,100 to scan all the documents. Bocharski said he and Smith have been working on starting the project for a couple of years and secured the funds in 2017 for the city’s current budget.
IN OTHER NEWS, the council authorized Youth Bureau Director Sandi Brundage to enter into a contract between the county and Salamanca youth bureaus for the Healthy Communities Project.
Through this agreement, Salamanca’s bureau would receive $4,500 and assist the county in yielding healthier policies, systems and environments to address poor nutrition, physical inactivity, tobacco use and chronic conditions with a priority on disability inclusion.
“Some things we would like out of this grant are electric wheelchair charging stations,” Brundage said. “We talked to the Seneca Nation to see about putting some up along the Pennsy Trail.”
The council also authorized the city clerk to properly advertise for bids on the mowing and trimming of the Wildwood Cemetery for 2018 and approved a 3 percent general raise for all full and part time Salamanca Housing Authority non-union employees.
(Contact reporter Kellen Quigley at kquigleysp@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Kellen_Quigley)
