On Tuesday, February 21, officials from Randolph EMC along with state and local fire representatives held honorary check ceremonies at Robbins Fire Rescue and at Ulah Volunteer Fire Department, according to a Randolph Electric news release.

Special guests included Commissioner of Insurance and N.C. Fire Marshall Mike Causey, N.C. Department of Insurance Regional Director Rosemary Parker, NC Electric Cooperatives REDLG Program Director Anna Walker, Robbins Town Council members, staff and Town Manager Clint Mack, and various other public safety representatives.

Randolph Electric has recently provided two zero-interest loans to these two fire departments within its service territory. REMC facilitated a loan in the amount of $225,000 to Robbins Fire Rescue in Moore County to help purchase a 3,000-gallon tanker engine. REMC also provided a loan in the amount of $360,000 to Ulah Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) in Randolph County to help purchase a 1,000-gallon pumper engine. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded Randolph EMC grants for each fire truck through the Rural Economic Development Loan & Grant program (REDLG program). The grants are combined with a 20% match from REMC and loaned to the ultimate recipient at zero percent interest. As funds are repaid, REMC receives the payments into its Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund for relending on the next project.

Cooperatives like Randolph EMC use REDLG funds to strengthen the communities they serve by helping finance business start-up costs, expansion projects, community development initiatives and more. This program contains two funding opportunities, separately known as the REDLoan program and the REDGrant programs. Under the REDGrant program, the USDA provides grant funds to electric or telephone cooperatives to establish a revolving loan fund. The loan funds support projects that provide rural community development.

U.S. Congressman Harry Cuellar’s office issued the following news release Friday on Facebook:

“Today, I announced $2,000,000 in federal funding for Zapata County to construct a new fire station to replace the current building that was built in the 1980s.

“Zapata County has been in dire need of a new fire station for quite some time now. The deteriorating conditions of the current building cause inefficiency problems and put our firefighter’s health at risk.

“With the construction of this new fire station, Chief Arriaga and his fire department will be able to provide a higher quality service to Zapata County. This new building will also help us guarantee the health of our firefighters who risk their lives every day for us.

“I want to thank Chief Arriaga, Judge Joseph Rathmell, and the Zapata County Commissioners for their collaboration in securing these funds and for their dedicated service to meet the needs of our community.”

From Zapata County Fire Department/Emergency Management Facebook post:

“Today we had the presentation of the check of $2 million for a new Fire Department for Zapata County by Congressman Henry Cuellar.

“Zapata County Fire Department Fire Chief Daniel Arriaga and staff would like to thank the Congressman Henry Cuellar, Zapata County Judge and commissioners along with everyone that took part in this. This will not only boost the Department’s moral but will help in the continued success of providing the best of emergency medical care and fire rescue operations within the community and surrounding areas.”

The Columbia Fire Department added a new rescue truck and a brush truck to its fleet in the last few months, wdam.com reported.

The Ford pickup rescue truck, which cost the city about $40,000, is equipped to respond to medical and rescue calls, the report said.

The brush truck was purchased for just $100 through a Fire Fighter Program with the Mississippi Forestry Commission, according to the report.

Firefighters put less than $2,000 into getting it ready to fight brush and grass fires, the report said.

The Columbia Fire Department is also using a $50,000 Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Assistance to Firefighters grant to purchase new extrication equipment, the report said. That gear should be arriving at the fire department in a couple of weeks.

Have you seen our #BlackHistoryMonth-wrapped truck around #Brampton?

The truck celebrates Black inventors and their contributions to the international fire service!

If you spot it out and about, and it’s safe to do so, snap a pic and share it with us! ^rc pic.twitter.com/SiMwaPv2Oe

— Brampton Fire & Emergency Services (@BramptonFireES) February 16, 2023

Brampton Fire and Emergency Services used one of their fire trucks to mark Black History Month by honoring Black leaders and inventors who created firefighting tools used around the world, Mississauga.com reported.

George Reid is among those featured on the truck. Reid is credited as the inventor of the fire pole after being the first person to use a pole to get to the first floor of his Chicago fire station during an alarm in 1878, the report said.

The truck also honors Joseph W. Winters, who invented and received a patent for his design—the first fire escape ladder mounted on fire wagons—in 1878, according to the report.