By Stephen Smoot
Earlier this month, the South Fork Volunteer Fire Department won a federal grant for nearly half a million dollars. According to rules established in the grant, the funds must be solely used to purchase a desperately needed 3,000-gallon tanker.
As Jeff Bowers, SFVFD president, explained, “We didn’t get $500,000. We received money to be applied to a tanker.” He added that the department must “provide a percentage of the purchase price” as well.
“We don’t have a real modern tanker,” explains Nila Bland who serves as treasurer and administrator. Tankers become key pieces of equipment, as Bland explains, “if you are on the back roads and have no hydrants then you need something to haul water in.”
Funds will come from a Federal Emergency Management Agency Fiscal Year 2022 Assistance to Firefighters Grant.
Grant funding replaced the old “earmark” system. At one time, US Senators and Representatives could use the process to get federal funds to support specific projects. Former US Senator Robert Byrd steered millions to West Virginia under the old ways. When Congress outlawed earmarks, competitive grants became one of the most important paths to obtain federal funds to support local initiatives.
Obtaining grants requires skill, patience, and effort. Bland explains that the application process can take time, saying “we waited on it for a year.” Much of the time was spent by Bland and others working with the grant writer. Federal grants especially require significant amounts of information with applicants spending time and effort researching needed data.
According to the federal website Grants.gov, the work does not end with the awarded money. The organization must make sure that “grant dollars are used for their intended purpose” and that “grant recipients must account for costs and justify expenditures.”
Most federal grants come with specific stipulations on how to spend the money. Some have loose guidelines, while others impose strict mandates. Those who violate mandates put their organizations at risk for receiving future funds. Moreover, administrators could be prosecuted for any misuse of funds.
Another difficulty arises when some jurisdictions lack the human capital to find and successfully apply for grants, which has fortunately not been the case for Pendleton County.
As Bland stated, “people still need to give.” Although the grant will help to pay for a vehicle, “we need more than just one.” Fire houses stock large amounts of needed equipment, some of which have expiration dates and require replacement. Wear and tear on vehicles and gas expenses for the current fleet can add up as well. Much of the equipment needed comes at a high cost, especially in a time of fast rising inflation.
The fire department also seeks to raise money in other ways. Bland provided one example, saying “we are in the process of selling by sealed bid our Mack tanker.” The Mack lacks modern equipment, such as an efficient 1,000 gallon per minute pump, more visible LED headlights, and other needs that the new tanker will possess.
