GILMER COUNTY, Ga. – Gilmer County Fire/Rescue has been selected as a 2026 grant recipient of the Lt. Joseph P. DiBernardo Memorial Foundation, providing funding for the department to purchase 67 personal bailout kits for its firefighters.

The kits will be carried as part of firefighters’ protective gear and are designed to provide an emergency means of escape through a window if a firefighter becomes trapped by life-threatening fire conditions.

The grant program is rooted in the legacy of Lt. Joseph P. DiBernardo, an FDNY firefighter whose actions during the Jan. 23, 2005, Bronx tenement fire helped save the life of a fellow firefighter.

The day, remembered in FDNY history as “Black Sunday,” resulted in the deaths of two firefighters at the Bronx fire, while four others suffered life-threatening injuries. A third FDNY firefighter died at a separate fire in Brooklyn that same day.

During the Bronx fire, firefighter Jeff Cool offered to use a safety rope he had purchased personally to help DiBernardo escape. Knowing Cool had a wife and children, DiBernardo insisted that Cool go first and helped him escape before attempting his own descent.

DiBernardo survived the fall but suffered devastating injuries and underwent a lengthy recovery. He was later promoted to lieutenant but died Nov. 22, 2011, as a result of injuries sustained during the 2005 fire.

The Lt. Joseph P. DiBernardo Memorial Foundation was established to carry forward his commitment to firefighter safety by helping fire departments obtain personal safety systems and providing firefighter safety education.

For Gilmer County Fire/Rescue, the 67 bailout kits will provide an additional emergency escape option for firefighters operating in dangerous conditions.

“These 67 kits represent more than equipment,” the department said in announcing the grant. “They represent an additional lifeline for the firefighters who serve our community and the families waiting for them to come home.”

Gilmer County Fire/Rescue also credited grant specialist Gina Bennett for her work preparing and submitting the successful application.

The department expressed its appreciation to the Lt. Joseph P. DiBernardo Memorial Foundation for supporting the safety of its firefighters and helping bring DiBernardo’s legacy of protecting others to Gilmer County.