Brunswick Hills Fire Department receives grant from Ohio Division of EMS

BRUNSWICK HILLS TWP. — The Brunswick Hills Fire Department recently received a $2,500 EMS 2025-26 priority one grant from the Ohio Division of EMS. Brunswick Hills Fire Chief Anthony Strazzo said the grant is funded through the revenue generated by seat belt tickets throughout the state. Fire departments can apply for the grant, and funds are awarded based on the department's demographics. "While we appreciate receiving grant money from seat belt tickets, we would prefer if people wear their seat belts," he said. The department applies for the grant pretty much every year, and the amount received was in between what it received in the past, Strazzo said. For instance, Brunswick Hills has received between $1,000 and $3,500 from the grant over the years. Departments are reimbursed after purchasing equipment approved by the state, he said. Brunswick Hills is looking into updating its pediatric response bags, so a majority of the grant funds from this year will likely go to purchasing new equipment for the bags. "All the equipment within that response bag on our ambulance is child sized," Strazzo said. "It's specific to basically age 16 and under. We have one on each of our ambulances, so we have a total of three of them." Last year, the Brunswick Hills Fire Department used its Ohio Division of EMS grant funding to purchase new intubation equipment that featured video, he said. "We can actually video when we're intubating someone, and it captures it," Strazzo said. "You can actually stream the video of what you're doing to your iPad." Grant funds help the department keep its equipment updated, he said. "In this case, it's less money that comes out of the residents of the township's pockets," Strazzo said. "We can then allocate that money for other things." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.