EAST ROCHESTER N.Y. – The East Rochester Volunteer Fire Department received more than $264,004 in federal funding. The money will go toward a new radio system.

“The county is changing their radio system to a trunk radio system and all of our current and portable radios will be obsolete,” said Fire Chief Neal Herko.

The funds are provided by Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program.

The funds are intended to alleviate some of the cost for the mandatory upgrade, according to Herko.

He adds, “Were only about one-square mile big, so our fire protection area is very small.”

On average, the department receives 375 calls a year, so smaller fire departments like East Rochester, required to make the switch, won’t see big changes.

Herko says the radio system will benefit “if it’s a large scale incident or a plane crash or school incident – something like that.”

East Rochester has a total of 44 firefighters. The department will receive 45 portal radios and nine mobile for each truck. Herko said changes are taking place now. He adds the sooner the installation is complete, the sooner his firefighters can begin using the new system to work out the bugs.