Christmas came early for the Campville Fire Department of Endicott, New York. The department received a grant from the Lt. Joseph P. DiBernardo Memorial Foundation to replace 30 of its aging personal life safety rope systems. The grant totaling over $30,500 was made possible through a partnership between the Lt. Joseph P. DiBernardo Memorial Foundation and The Leary Firefighters Foundation.

The Lt. Joseph P. DiBernardo Memorial Foundation, established in Joey’s memory in 2013, “carries on Joey’s legacy of training firefighters and our grant program helps provide a way to give firefighters this vital equipment ,” says Chief Joe DiBernardo. "Through our partnership with The Leary Firefighters Foundation, we can help more departments in need in the New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts area. We're honored to partner with The Leary Firefighters Foundation to help our nation's firefighters stay safe."

In August 2012, New York Governor Cuomo, signed into law a measure to require New York firefighters to be equipped with personal safety rope systems or emergency escape systems in the event they become trapped in an elevated structure fire. The Lt. Joseph P. DiBernardo Memorial Foundation helps departments in need purchase this much needed safety equipment. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded over $242,000 to help departments across the United States and Canada keep their members safe.

To learn more about the Lt. Joseph P. DiBernardo Memorial Foundation’s grant program for personal life safety rope systems or to apply visit: www.joeydfoundation.org/about-the-foundation/grants/.