Jeannette lands federal grant to build new fire station

The Jeannette Fire Department will soon have a new home thanks to a federal grant.

The department will build a new station on city-owned property that formerly housed the Clay Avenue school.

Fire Chief Bill Frye expects to receive $1.2 million though an American Rescue Plan Act grant. He said a new building is needed for both firefighters and community members.

The current station, which was built in 1927, has sewage problems, black mold, termites and asbestos, Frye said.

Additionally, it is not large enough to hold all of the department’s trucks. The department currently stores trucks in three locations, which Frye said can cause delays or confusion.

Frye said he believes the new building will improve firefighter safety and efficiency. The department has discussed building a new station since 2019.

“It’s really nice this is actually happening,” Frye said.

Frye also said he envisions the new station will benefit Jeannette residents and neighboring communities. Jeannette has the only full-time paid fire department in Westmoreland County.

The city learned about the grant through Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward, a Hempfield Republican who found the grant for the department and wrote a letter of recommendation for it.

Mayor Curtis Antoniak described the new station and Ward as a “blessing to our town.”

“This is going to mean so much to our city,” he said.

Frye hopes the new station will be built within the next year.