Denis Leary donates new equipment to Detroit firefighters

Actor Denis Leary has donated more than $260,000 (£162,500)-worth of much-needed new equipment to firefighters in the bankrupt city of Detroit, Michigan. The Amazing Spider-Man star offered up the state-of-the-art items through his Leary Firefighters Foundation after raising the money through proceeds from his documentary Burn, which chronicles the struggles of the Detroit emergency services.
The generous donation was presented by Leary himself to Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Detroit Fire Commissioner Edsel Jenkins on Thursday morning (22May14).
He said, “Each time we are blessed with the ability to donate funds which will help the brave and courageous firefighters of this country, we do so with gratitude and admiration. Every dollar makes a difference.
“I’ve had the opportunity to meet and spend time with the firefighters featured in our film Burn and I know the circumstances they work under. I sincerely hope this gift can aid them and their fellow firefighters in making improvements on the job.”
Leary, who portrayed a firefighter in TV drama Rescue Me, set up the charity organisation in 2000 in memory of a cousin and childhood pal who perished while on the job. The foundation aims to provide funding and resources for fire departments across the U.S.
Detroit city officials declared bankruptcy in July, 2013 with debts of at least $18 billion, making it the largest municipal bankruptcy filing in U.S. history.