According to Commerce FD Captain Joe Pretre, the grant used to be only used for training textbooks and related materials, but in recent years was changed to include other items as well. Pretre said that the grant was applied for last year. This grant is the second one given to the fire department this year, with Commerce FD receiving an $8,400 grant in April for bunker gear.

There are certain criteria that have to be met to be eligible, and Commerce FD meets the criteria due to having less than 20 full time workers.

The grant is known as a "100 percent grant," meaning that the Forest Service will reimburse the fire department completely for their purchase up to $5,000. Pretre said that the plan is to use the grant to purchase a Keiser force sled and a drag dummy.

"The purchase is being undertaken to address the issue of insufficient firefighting units, mainly pumpers, which has been impeding the brigade's capacity to effectively carry out its operations," a document tabled in Parliament said.

A 2014 performance audit of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), which was undertaken by the Auditor General's Department, indicates that 36 per cent of the fleet of emergency vehicles were out of service.

At May 2014, brigade's fleet of emergency vehicles, including pumpers, water tankers and fireboats, stood at 75, of which 31 were out of service, some for periods of up to six years. Consequently, the JFB was unable to deploy a pumper to four fire stations.

According to a spokesperson with Georgia State Patrol, Martin McBride, of Buchanan, was driving northbound on U.S. Highway 27 when McBride allegedly hit the fire truck, which was traveling eastbound on Highway 120.

The fire truck had its lights and sirens activated while crossing U.S. Highway 27, according to authorities.

Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation awarded the department more than $19,000 to go toward the UTV.

This will help first responders go around debris and other barriers in case of an emergency.

“It’s organizations like Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation and groups like them that really reach out and partner with their community to make their community safer,” said Chris Garrett, Owasso fire chief. “I mean what the foundation did for us, it’s great. It’s huge.”

The foundation has given more than $545,000 to hometown heroes in Oklahoma since 2005.