The grants are to "enhance through direct financial assistance, the health and safety of the public and firefighting personnel and to provide a continuum of support for emergency responders regarding fire, medical and all hazard events," according to the program. The Federal Emergency Management Agency distributes the funds.

"The department replaced an 11-year-old truck with a 2017 Ford F-550 that has a 400-gallon water tank, foam capability, remote control front bumper turret and nozzles on the front and back bumpers and sides of the truck," said Darryl Rogers, Fire Chief of Dawson Volunteer Fire Department. "We are glad to have a dependable truck that gives us the option to respond and extinguish a grass fire with fewer personnel."

"The primary purpose of the truck will be wildland firefighting but can also be used for most any type of fire and medical response or traffic control," said Rogers. "The foam capability is ideal for the grass fires because the foam gives better suppression rate, allowing a firefighter to put out a fire using less water."

The truck costs about $500,000, but the director said city council will pay for 80 percent of it.

"It's all about service. What we do is service the community. We try to get 20 to 25 years out of each equipment, and we want to pay cash for it. When we get the truck, hopefully in two years, it'll be paid for in cash," Zakhary said.

Mayor Virgil Holder questioned whether the town should go through a published bidding process since the price was so high.

City leaders could declare the cost an "emergency repair" and forgo the bidding process, City Attorney Billy Gouger said, and he recommended the town do that if the funds were available.

One North Carolina community is dealing with the decision of whether to sell their old fire apparatus to another department or to a private auto business.