Butterfield Fire receives $151K grant
Charlea Mills
August 12, 2015
The Butterfield Fire Department just received word that they were approved for $151,200 grant to purchase new equipment. Fire Chief Tommy Ray said that they got confirmation on Tuesday, August 11, that they would be receiving the funds soon.
Ray said, “It’s a 95/5 grant, so they give us 95 percent and then we have to provide five percent.” Numbers mean that the federal government will deposit $144,000 and the local department will contribute $7,200.
Ray said this is the fourth or fifth time the department has received the grant which is called the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG). Within the grant application, the department has to specify what they’ll purchase with the funds. Ray said, “We’re allotted so many of each piece of equipment that we can buy with the money.”
While that lump sum of money may sound like a lot, Ray said it doesn’t stretch as far as many would think. One Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) costs around $7,000. With 25 volunteers on the force and equipment needing to be replaced regularly, grants like the AFG ensure the volunteers stay safe.
This grant specifically will cover 23 sets of head-to-toe gear, 13 SCBA’s and classes Firefighter 1 and 2, that are certified through the Division of Fire Safety. All of the equipment purchased with the grant money will go through a bidding process through the Butterfield Fire Department Board.
Ray said, “Our gear was purchased ten years ago, and it only has a shelf-life of ten years. It costs so much to replace it, and we have such a small budget, the grants are important. Even $100,000 doesn’t go very far when you consider the cost of the gear or the SCBA’s.”
The typical operating budget for the department for the year is $55,000 and includes funds for fuel, building payment, utilities and miscellaneous equipment.
The Butterfield Fire Department is a volunteer-only department with Ray as chief since 2003, Scott Brophy as Deputy Chief and Donnie Privett as Assistant Chief. None of the positions are paid. They respond to 100 or more calls each year, which include fire response, first responder assistance, car wrecks and mutual aid for other departments.
August 12, 2015
The Butterfield Fire Department just received word that they were approved for $151,200 grant to purchase new equipment. Fire Chief Tommy Ray said that they got confirmation on Tuesday, August 11, that they would be receiving the funds soon.
Ray said, “It’s a 95/5 grant, so they give us 95 percent and then we have to provide five percent.” Numbers mean that the federal government will deposit $144,000 and the local department will contribute $7,200.
Ray said this is the fourth or fifth time the department has received the grant which is called the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG). Within the grant application, the department has to specify what they’ll purchase with the funds. Ray said, “We’re allotted so many of each piece of equipment that we can buy with the money.”
While that lump sum of money may sound like a lot, Ray said it doesn’t stretch as far as many would think. One Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) costs around $7,000. With 25 volunteers on the force and equipment needing to be replaced regularly, grants like the AFG ensure the volunteers stay safe.
This grant specifically will cover 23 sets of head-to-toe gear, 13 SCBA’s and classes Firefighter 1 and 2, that are certified through the Division of Fire Safety. All of the equipment purchased with the grant money will go through a bidding process through the Butterfield Fire Department Board.
Ray said, “Our gear was purchased ten years ago, and it only has a shelf-life of ten years. It costs so much to replace it, and we have such a small budget, the grants are important. Even $100,000 doesn’t go very far when you consider the cost of the gear or the SCBA’s.”
The typical operating budget for the department for the year is $55,000 and includes funds for fuel, building payment, utilities and miscellaneous equipment.
The Butterfield Fire Department is a volunteer-only department with Ray as chief since 2003, Scott Brophy as Deputy Chief and Donnie Privett as Assistant Chief. None of the positions are paid. They respond to 100 or more calls each year, which include fire response, first responder assistance, car wrecks and mutual aid for other departments.