LISBON — Significant state funding was secured for the Lisbon Village Fire Department to fund the pressing and growing needs of the department.

Sen. Michael Rulli recently announced that $150,000 was allocated for the department in the state’s fiscal year 2022-2023 biennial budget, a section of House Bill 110, that was signed by Gov. Mike DeWine on July 1.

Mayor Peter Wilson collaborated with village council members to submit a list of nine items that were in need of funding to Rulli a few months prior. Wilson submitted an item regarding the fire department and its need for a new station, which Rulli selected to submit to the senate to be considered for the state budget. When the item reached the conference committee, it was worded to only allow the funding to be used for equipment acquisition and training and specifically forbids it to be used for the purchase of property and other capital expenses.

Despite the change, the fire department is anything but disappointed.

“I was like a kid on Christmas when he (Mayor Peter Wilson) called me,” fire chief Mark Hall said.

Hall called a meeting with the department to begin the discussion on what they want to spend the money on. Hall said he wants to decide on how to spend the money collaboratively with his men because they’re the future of the department.

A few of the items on the list include a battery-powered Jaws of Life, a set of portable battery-powered lights to take on dimly-lit excursions such as rescues and recoveries in wooded areas, new four-inch hoses for the trucks and new air tanks for their air packs.

The funding also covers training and courses. Lt. Adam McCullough said that he and fireman Tony Hunt were interested in swift-water rescue training. Hall said that the training would be useful to the men, especially after the tragic drowning incident in 2015 in Little Beaver Creek when a local teacher, Todd Vadino, and his ten-year-old son Garrett and family friend 14-year-old Carson Bonar died. Garrett slipped and fell into the river and Bonar went in after him, and Todd tried to rescue both of them.

“We need swift-water rescue training. Hopefully we never have an incident like we had a few years ago, I know that affected a lot of gentlemen in this department,” Hall said.

All of the items on the department’s wish-list center around one goal; to better protect and serve the residents of Lisbon, Center Township and Elkrun Township. McCullough said that it takes a lot of money to keep up with the continually changing required trainings and equipment in the fire service, and the whole department is grateful to “get the ball rolling” on funding the necessities.

Hall and the department extend their gratitude towards Rulli and Wilson.

“I want to thank Senator Rulli on behalf of myself, the Lisbon firefighters and the citizens of Lisbon and Center and Elkrun Township. Just a heart-felt thank you, it’s greatly appreciated,” Hall said. “And thank you to Pete Wilson for taking the initiative to do this.”

Wilson gave all the credit to Rulli and Rep. Tim Ginter for making this possible.

“I will tell you that we’re really thankful to our state legislators–Senator Rulli and Representative Ginter–for helping secure this money for the fire department. Since January of 2020, Lisbon has received nearly $2 million in state and local grants and funds, which we are putting to work to improve our public services,” Wilson said.

The money will become available to the department on July 1, 2022 and they have two years to spend it.