Two Burke County fire departments will receive $90,236 in grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Congressman Patrick McHenry announced Wednesday.
In the first round of distributions from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, Icard Township Fire Department was awarded $39,349 and George Hildebran Volunteer Fire Department will receive $50,887. This will be the sixth time Icard has received a grant and the fifth year for George Hildebran.
The program will continue to announce grants in weekly rounds over coming months. AFG in 2008-09 awarded $1.74 million in 26 grants to 24 departments in North Carolina's 10th Congressional District.
Icard Township Fire Department Fire Chief Brand Lingerfelt said his department is "going to spend every nickel on hoses and nozzles."
Most of the department's hoses and nozzles are more than 20 years old, Lingerfelt said. Past grants have purchased air packs and communication devices and paid for physicals for firefighters.
"Number one, we appreciate the grants being offered," Lingerfelt said. "And two, we appreciate the membership of the department supporting and being involved in the application and activity of the grant itself."
George Hildebran Volunteer Fire Department Captain Derek Brittain said his department would use the grant to purchase new handheld radios. The new radios are compliant with the 800 megahertz and VIPER systems already in use by Burke County Emergency Services and the Burke County Sheriff's Office.
"The grant has really helped us to stay up with technology and the equipment that's come along today," Brittain said.
His department used past AFG grants to buy hoses and pagers.
In a press release, McHenry said, "Both Icard and George Hildebran are great fire departments with dedicated and professional personnel. I've visited both of these departments in the past and am not at all surprised to hear that they were successful in the first round of this year's AFG grants."
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