A new patrol vehicle for the Springdale Police Department is one of three financial boosts coming to first responders in the lower Allegheny Valley.
State funding will assist the police department, Springdale Volunteer Fire Department and Lower Valley Ambulance Service in obtaining equipment for their agencies.
The police department was awarded $75,000, said state Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Fox Chapel, who helped to obtain the funding. It will enable the department to purchase a new patrol vehicle to add to its fleet, Chief Derek Dayoub said.
“The safety of our community and my officers remains a top priority, and this funding underscores the state’s commitment to providing the necessary resources and tools for the Springdale Borough Police Department to continue protecting the community,” Dayoub said.
The fire department also received $75,000, which will go toward the purchase of a utility vehicle, Capt. Dan Copeland said.
“It’s really nice to finally get some money from the state of Pennsylvania,” Copeland said. “It’s been a long time coming.”
Lower Valley Ambulance Service — which covers Springdale, Springdale Township, Cheswick, Indiana Township, Harmar and Verona — got nearly $35,000 in state funding, said Chief Terry Anzaldi.
The money will be used to repair and replace the ambulance pad, or bay, outside the station’s garage.
“The pad itself was in disarray for quite a while,” he said.
He’s hoping the repairs can be made within the next 2 to 3 months. He was appreciative of Steele’s work to obtain the funding and said her passion for supporting fire, EMS and police is evident.
Copeland said the funding comes from Steele’s office working in conjunction with appropriations chair Rep. Jordan Harris.
“Communities thrive when they have first responders that have the resources they need to be able to do their jobs,” Steele said. “Police, firefighters, EMS teams, they’re there for us. We need to be there for them.
“Inadequate funding and communities being less engaged has led to a real crisis for first responders — they’re short on money, equipment, volunteers. We have to do everything we can to change the game.”
Also receiving funding were the Fawn, O’Hara and Blawnox police departments, as well as Camp Guyasuta.
Kellen Stepler is a TribLive reporter covering the Allegheny Valley and Burrell school districts and surrounding areas. He joined the Trib in April 2023. He can be reached at kstepler@triblive.com.