When Richard Bateman, a 50-year-old father who traveled the world playing with heavy metal bands, collapsed in his living room on September 5, his wife, Amy Bateman, called 911.  

A Tampa Fire Rescue engine and ambulance arrived within minutes. But when they tried to drive him to the hospital, the ambulance would not start. The crew called for a backup rescue truck.

The second ambulance arrived nearly 40 minutes after the first 911 call.

The Chardon and Burton departments together applied in February for $398,000 for new air packs and related software. The departments recently were jointly awarded a $334,000 grant.  

The local share is 10 percent of the award, meaning about $17,000 from Chardon and $13,000 from Burton, Chardon Chief Larry Gaspar said.

“We’re going to be able to get 26 brand new, state-of-the-art air packs, and then each air pack is going to come with two 45-minute air bottles,” he told City Council at the Nov. 8 meeting.

The department’s current air packs date to 2002 and have undergone four upgrades.