The Athens, Ohio Fire Department received more than $48,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help cover the cost of protective gear, and the city has applied for $945,000 more to help pay for a new ladder truck.

The $48,852 will cover 90 percent of the cost for new gloves, helmets, boots and coats for 23 firefighters, said Fire Chief Bob Troxel. He added the city would have footed the bill for the gear without the grant because the department needed it regardless.

“It just saves the city about $50,000,” Troxel said.

After the city learned other Ohio fire departments received more than $100,000 from this year’s FEMA grants, officials decided to apply for more money next year to pay for a new fire truck, said Mayor Paul Wiehl. The current ladder truck is broken and will be out of commission for a few weeks, he said.

The city has been trying to get Ohio University to pay for part of the truck because one-third of the fire department’s calls come from the university, Wiehl said.

The city also asked the university to cover the cost of the fire truck with a student fee because a ladder truck is needed for OU’s tall buildings, according to a previous article in The Post.

The city and university still are working to come up with an agreement on how to help pay for the truck, and OU President Roderick McDavis wrote a letter of recommendation for the grant, said Paula Moseley, the city’s service-safety director.

“We seem to have a pretty good collaborative sharing going on with Ohio University,” Moseley said. “We’ve written letters in support of the expansion of the compost facility (and other projects).”

Wiehl said he has written letters in support of the university grants, especially when the grants will bring business to the city. Wiehl called the city and university intertwined.

“It is like a family. We agree on some things and disagree on others … but you keep on communicating,” he said.