Congressman Announces Grant For Volunteer Fire Department
Article in January 27,2009 Herald Chronicle by a staff writer
U.S. Rep Lincoln Davis joined County Commissioners Angie Fuller and A.L. Shasteen alongside County Mayor Richard Stewart, State Senator Eric Stewart and North Franklin County Volunteer fire Department Chief Bill Faulkner in announcing a $228,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grants program for the acquisition of a firefighting vehicle.
“This grant will help provide our brave volunteer firefighters with the needed training and equipment to adequately protect themselves and effectively serve the community,” Congressman Davis said. “Our firefighters have difficult and hazardous jobs, and one way we can thank them for their work is by putting these badly needed resources towards their efforts.”
This federal matching grant will enable the fire department to purchase a pumper tanker fire truck. The local matching funds are $12,000, bringing the total to $240,000.
Commissioner Fuller, who is also a volunteer member of the fire department, said, “I can’t express enough how important the acquisition of a new tanker will be for the community. I’d like to thank Congressman Davis, local officials, and Chief Faulkner for working so hard to make sure this grant became a reality.”
According to Chief Faulkner, the fire department was in dire need of a more advanced piece of firefighting equipment.
“This purchase will enable our department servicing the northwest corner of Franklin County to universally protect all resident of our fire coverage area. Thanks to the assistance of local government officials, and our local congressional representative, Lincoln Davis, this much needed federal grant will allow our department to provide quality service to area residents for years to come.”
The Firefighting Vehicles Acquisition Program Grant is one of the program areas supported through the Assistance to Firefighter Grants. This program grant includes pumpers, brush trucks, tankers, rescue ambulances, quints, aerials, foam units and fireboats. The AFG is managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA).