On the front page of Monday’s print edition of the Butler Eagle, we wrote about how $1.3M in aid from the Pennsylvania Auditor General’s office will be coming to benefit local fire departments.

In today’s print edition of the Butler Eagle, we write about how Pennsylvania American Water Company announced Monday that it has awarded a total of $71,000 in grants to 142 fire and rescue organizations across the commonwealth through its annual Firefighting Support Grant Program, including a handful of stations here in Butler County — Butler Township Volunteer Fire District 3, City of Butler Bureau of Fire, Connoquenessing Volunteer Fire Company and Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Company.

These stories come after months of following the crisis affecting first responders. This may be among the most critical shortages yet, so it’s important now, maybe more than ever, that these groups of first responders are supported.

Add in inflation, and you’ve got a full-blown conflict at hand.

It’s critical they have the funding they need to afford lifesaving equipment.

“Every little bit helps. Prices have gone up. Everything that has a fire department tag on it is more expensive than it used to be,” Tim Llewellyn, chief of Adams Area Fire District, said in the Monday article.

The significant funding — $1.3 million in Butler County — comes from the Volunteer Fire Fighters Relief Act, which makes up a quarter of the Adams department’s budget. The funds from the relief act are calculated on a municipality’s population. Funds are then placed in the care of the municipalities to be distributed by their leaders to local fire departments.

The funding in Adams’ case was comparable to what they had received in previous years — so not really a massive push at battling inflation.

Still, like Llewellyn said, every bit counts. The funds announced by Pennsylvania American fit the same sentiment.

Every little bit does indeed make a difference right now. Supporting firefighters and local first responders is critical. They take care of us when we need them. Likewise, it’s important to take care of them.

– TL