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VIENNA — As the government shutdown folds into another day, some local first responders aren’t getting paid, and one community firefighter is hoping to help.

Philip Lucarell, a captain with the Liberty Township Fire Department, admitted that he initially assumed civilian firefighters with the Youngstown Air Reserve Station were getting paid because many military personnel were receiving compensation.

He said he learned that wasn’t the case a few weeks ago after speaking to a friend at the air base, who told him that only full military personnel were getting paid.

In terms of the essential expenses and bills firefighters were facing, Lucarell said some of them were already having a hard time buying gas to get to work.

“They’re not allowed to not work, and they work a 48-hour shift, and then they’re off for 48 hours. These guys have to come to work, and they need gas money to get to work,” Lucarell said. “They have all the essential bills that you have to pay — house payments, kids, dentist appointment payments, water bills, gas bills, insurance — everything that adulting entails. And they’re getting zero cash.”

Lucarell said air base firefighters received their last full paycheck Sept. 29. They received a partial paycheck the second week of October.

Lucarell said he was motivated to start a GoFundMe for the firefighters because they support all communities by providing automatic mutual aid for fires.

“They go wherever they’re asked — no task is too small, they’re always happy to help,” Lucarell said. “They open up and help us smaller departments that don’t have an Air Force budget for training equipment; they let us come and use their equipment and train.”

“They are just a friend to the fire service, and if a friend’s in need, then you help,” he added.

As of Friday afternoon, the GoFundMe has amassed nearly $5,000 in the several days since its posting.

With the restricted access of YARS making it difficult to drop items off, Lucarell said the GoFundMe is the best possible way to provide support, adding that the funds are controlled by the fire department union’s treasurer and will be distributed to individuals in need.

“Most of the guys, a lot of firemen, work part-time jobs, but the part-time jobs don’t pay well,” Lucarell said. “If these guys get taken care of and there’s other air base fire departments in need, they will just help everybody out that they can.”