According to a report from Your Daily Globe, pending approval of a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant, the Wakefield (MI) Volunteer Fire Department (WVFD) may get a new fire truck with an estimated value of $500,000, said WVFD Chief Mike Singleton.
The WVFD’s baseline grant request will be for $276,000, but Singleton said that a final amount of $500,000 is possible. Receiving the full amount would mean the WVFD could purchase the best custom-built vehicle to suit their and the community’s needs. Singleton also said that the department is planning a smaller grant request for new extrication equipment, which is expected to cost about $42,000.
The WVFD’s existing extrication equipment cost $7,500 and is gas-powered, whereas the new equipment, if funded, would be battery-operated.
Singleton is expecting the Wakefield City Council to issue its approval of the applications in a special meeting before February 4, which is FEMA’s set due date for approval, with a response to the applications being received by about mid-summer. However, Singleton does not fully expect both grants to be approved.
If truck funding occurs, it could take a year or more before the department receives the new vehicle. If t arrives, the WVFD may sell its 1990 pumper, which is still in service but does not meet modern-day standards. Department members should expect to continue using a 2005 pumper tanker and a 1991 brush truck, both of which are in good working condition.
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