In the last week, Lyon County Fire District 5 Hartford/Neosho Rapids has announced plans for significant equipment updates thanks to the awarding of multiple federal grants.
Thursday, the volunteer department announced it had received a $27,300 grant from the US Department of the Interior’s Slip-on Tanker program that will allow the department to purchase a new skid unit, also known as a slip-on, to replace its aging unit. The grant will cover 100 percent of the cost meaning the department will not need to provide any funds, which is a major benefit as Matt Zumbrunn of District 5 noted that volunteer departments tend to not have the largest budgets year to year.
The new skid unit will be used largely for “enhanced wildland capability,” introducing “capabilities” the department does not currently have, including the use of Class A foam that is especially useful in fighting fires that are “deeply seated in woody debris.” Thursday’s announcement followed a news release from Tuesday where the department revealed it had also received a pair of grants through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) totaling nearly $600,000.
Those funds will be used to purchase a new tender/pumper vehicle to replace its 1990 dump truck and new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) to replace their current models that date back to 2001. Much like the smaller budget, Zumbrunn noted that outdated or aging equipment is a commonality among volunteer departments, meaning a large portion of their budget goes to maintenance and upkeep throughout the year.
Zumbrunn says that while the grant awards have been coming in steadily over the last week, their awarding is the result of an effort that began three years earlier.
Zumbrunn says the recent grant awards will allow the department to put budget dollars toward more pressing needs and also calls the awards a victory for the entire area, not just their department alone.
In addition to the recent awards, Zumbrunn says the department is also awaiting word on a 50/50 grant through the Kansas Forest Service, with plans to purchase wildland personal protective equipment should the grant be awarded.
Hartford/Neosho Rapids was one of 17 departments in the state to receive funds through the FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant program and one of only three departments in the state to receive funding through the Department of the Interior program, according to Zumbrunn.
