Knox Borough Council has made it known that it plans to continue its strong support of the community’s ambulance service and fire department with $20,000 donations to each emergency service.
Council also approved $20,000 donations to each last year.
Council President Jack Bish Jr. explained the money will come from the borough’s remaining American Rescue Plan funding.
Bish said the borough does not anticipate additional federal funding, such as the American Rescue Plan, but acknowledged council will start planning now to continue funding the emergency services.
“We’ll find something,” he said, because the community must have the ambulance and fire services.
Knox Ambulance Service member Kate Bifano said the second donation comes as the service moves to its new location along Petrolia Street and as it picks up more coverage area. The service picked up a large portion of the former coverage area of Shippenville Area Ambulance Service, which closed at the end of January due to financial and staffing storages.
Bifano said the Knox service also purchased a 2022 ambulance from Shippenville at a cost of $70,000, and that it has raised about $28,500 toward that purchase through fundraising.
“This (new donation) will be a big help,” she said. “We really appreciate the support the Knox community has given us.”
Jason McMillen, of the Knox Volunteer Fire Department, said his organization will use the new round of funding for equipment and safety gear. That had been the plan for the original $20,000 donation in 2022, but four fires over the holiday season changed the plan.
McMillen said all four of the holiday fires happened during a brutally cold period, which led to some of the valves and other equipment on the firetrucks becoming frozen and damaged.
With the first $20,000 donation going to repair the damaged trucks, McMillen said the new donation will be used for the equipment and gear the department originally planned to purchase.
“We want to keep our guys in new gear and safe,” he said.
With the ambulance service expanding into a larger coverage area, and the fire department’s coverage area including Ashland, Beaver and Salem townships, council members expressed hope those other municipalities will increase their financial support of the emergency services.
McMillen also advised council members on the fire department’s plans for the annual Horsethief Days Festival.
The fire department usually has a major part in picking the Citizen of the Year to be honored during the August festival. McMillen said the fire department’s members decided to honor all firefighters, both past and present, with the honor. This year marks the 90th anniversary of the department’s founding.
Past and present firefighters will be invited to ride in the parade. For more information about the event, call the fire station at (814) 797-5000.