“It gives us an opportunity to grow as a volunteer fire department,” North Farms Volunteer Fire Chief Tim Wall said. “We now have a facility that is comfortable, clean and state of the art.”The station will house a paramedic ambulance staffed by career firefighters, which the old volunteer fire station did not allow. The ambulance has become the fire department’s primary responding vehicle for medical emergencies, and the only town ambulance on call 24/7.

The North Farms unit celebrated its 70-year anniversary last weekend and currently has about 45 volunteers, Wall said. The voluntary fire unit is one of two in Wallingford, along with the East Wallingford Volunteer Fire Department. Earlier this year, the North Farms department consolidated with the Yalesville volunteer department due to a lack of volunteers at both departments, Heidgerd said.

Construction on the station began in April 2015, two months after the Town Council approved $4.6 million for the project.

The new station was built at the site of a former horse barn and dairy farm. The town purchased the land in 2011. The station cost about $5 million in total to complete, Heidgerd said.

The AFG program was established by FEMA in 2001 to help fire departments acquire new equipment, vehicles, and training to ensure public health and safety.

The Hanover Fire Department received $999,756 in grant money this year, with $932,381 of that going to purchase and equip the new ladder truck, and $67,375 will go to the purchase of automatic compression devices, which provide uninterrupted CPR administration during transportation, and new nozzles for the department's hoses.

"People in this area will be benefited. Their properties will be benefited. The insurance that they pay could be benefited," said Congressman Bill Keating. "The municipal calls that are made to help other communities with this equipment will be benefited. Not only is there a savings in property, that pales in comparison to the real effort here: saving lives."

The AFG program receives almost 10,000 applications each year, of which only 2,000 are accepted and funded. Of the 4,000 requests for vehicles, 200 are awarded throughout the country.

The department bought a used 2001 Ford F450 pickup truck, stripped it, repainted and refurbished it and equipped it for fighting brush fires, assisting in rescues and transporting manpower. They also financed the purchase of a Pierce Lance firetruck that serves as Rescue/Engine 571. Both trucks were placed in service in August.

Pine Township firefighters are raising funds for the truck at weekly bingo games and sub sandwich sales on the second Saturday of each month. The department also plans a meat raffle on Nov. 19 with packaged hams, turkeys, sausage and bacon being offered at $1 a ticket. Pine Township fire officials say a gun raffle and cash raffle are planned in the spring for the fundraising efforts.