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Zamboni used to drive recruitment for Lancaster County Fire Department

MANHEIM TOWNSHIP, Pa. -Thinking outside the penalty box, the Manheim Township Fire Rescue used part of a safer grant from FEMA to create a new recruiting tool. ...
Zamboni

MANHEIM TOWNSHIP, Pa. -Thinking outside the penalty box, the Manheim Township Fire Rescue used part of a safer grant from FEMA to create a new recruiting tool. The grant program provides funds for volunteer departments to create recruitment and retention tool programs.

FEMA approved the $10,000 project that transformed a Zamboni at the Lancaster Ice Rink into a replica of one of the department’s trucks. Since the Zamboni came from Penn State it was already blue and white. They added a wrap to it.  Chief Rick Kane says they have some full time staff. Due to budget constraints they rely heavily on volunteers.

“We struggle to find in our organization  16 and 17-year-old firefighters for the junior program. So, right here at the ice rink that is a target age with the folks that are here playing hockey. Then also quite a few of the local colleges play here as their home ice so we are also able to target the 18, early 20 range as well,” said Kane.

FEMA says they have never had a department use the grant for a Zamboni before. They want to bring in six – eight volunteers a quarter.

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