AUSTINTOWN — The Austintown Township Fire Department was awarded $455,590 in federal funds from an Assistance to Firefighters Grant administered by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Township fire Chief Andy Frost III said the grant is regional and will not only help Austintown, but also will offer assistance to Coitsville and Craig Beach. “The funds will be used to replace equipment that has been deemed unusable by the National Fire Protection Association … we rely heavily on alternative funding sources such as this grant to maintain our equipment while keeping the firefighters and residents safe.”

The grant to the department is part of $319.5 million awarded from 2020 federal funds provided directly to eligible fire departments, certain EMS organizations and state fire training academies around the nation, according to a news release announcing the grant.