The plans were presented to the commission as a courtesy "heads up" by city Managing Director Glenn Steckman, so no vote was required of the members. Act 47 capital improvement funds will be used to help pay for the projects. He also emphasized that the city administration and Mayor Wally Scott were seeking input from all stakeholders, in addition to the planning commission — firefighters, neighbors, local businesses and the community at large.

“We were very fortunate enough to receive the grant that outfitted our whole department,” firefighter Eric Moran said, adding they became the first career department to receive a grant equipping all 42 firefighters through the Lt. Joseph P. DiBernardo Memorial Foundation, created by the family of one of the firefighters injured on Black Sunday.

“Every fire department should be outfitted with these,” Moran said. “It’s necessary safety equipment.”

Each firefighter now has a seat harness that wraps around the waist and through the legs, as well as a pouch that holds the emergency escape system — a metal hook connected by rope to a descender, a mechanical grip that allows the firefighter to control the rope feeding through it.