Denis Leary Foundation provides grant for Meadville Central Fire Department

Dec. 15—Meadville Central Fire Department will receive a grant for rescue equipment from a nonprofit founded by an actor best known for portraying a firefighter in the post-9/11 television show "Rescue Me."

The department was selected to receive the $8,383 grant by the Leary Firefighters Foundation, City Manager Maryann Menanno announced in a press release Wednesday. The organization was founded by actor and comedian Denis Leary.

The money will fund the purchase of bailout kits for each of the department's members as well as a spare for use in training, according to Chief Pat Wiley. The new equipment will replace older kits and provide added safety for department members.

"The bailout kits are for if they get stranded, the hose burns through, we lose water or the fire overtakes them and they can't get to a ladder," Wiley said, "with these kits they're going to be able to exit out of a window and get down to the ground floor."

The kits, typically used when urgent exits are required, consist of ropes, a harness and a hook that allow firefighters to execute a makeshift form of rappelling.

"The guys are very excited to get these," Wiley said. "They're a nice addition."The Leary Firefighters Foundation was founded by actor Denis Leary in 2000, in response to a fire in Worcester, Massachusetts, that claimed the life of his cousin and five other firefighters. The foundation regularly accepts grant requests for training, equipment, and technology from fire departments across the United States. Grant awards vary, but range from $5,000 to $25,000, with awards based on the need of the department.

Four years after starting the foundation, Leary co-created and starred in the long-running FX network show "Rescue Me," which followed members of a Manhattan firehouse struggling with the loss of many of their colleagues on 9/11.

Mennano said the grant was just the second from the Leary foundation to a department in northwest Pennsylvania and credited Meadville Central's staff for the success of the application.

"We are lucky to have dedicated public safety staff who not only show up every day to serve their community by keeping them safe, but also by going a step further to apply for funding to alleviate the strain on an already tight budget," she said. "It just shows how dedicated the department is in serving their community."

Mike Crowley can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at mcrowley@meadvilletribune.com.