June 28, 2021
By:
DeKalb County Mayor Tim Stribling was contacted by Dan Beasley, Acting State Director for Tennessee Rural Development, recently and informed that DeKalb County Fire Department has been awarded a Community Facility Services Grant in the amount of $137,500. This grant award, coupled with the county’s obligated 45% matching share, will total $250,000 and will be used to purchase a 2021 fire engine and equipment.
In January, Mayor Stribling was contacted by Rural Development and made aware that a census tract in the western portion of the county met the programs priorities for funds set aside to improve community facilities and safety initiatives. The grant application was filed and will be administered by the Upper Cumberland Development District (UCDD).
The new fire engine purchase will begin with specification development and then will be released for competitive bidding. Once the fire engine is delivered, it will be stationed at the Department’s Liberty Station.
Chief Donny Green says he wants to commend County Mayor Stribling and the DeKalb County Commission for understanding the benefit of taking advantage of this grant opportunity. “This is the first new fire engine that we have purchased since 2012 and we must manage the age of our 15 fire apparatuses in our county-wide fleet so that we do not get to a point where all of our fire engines reach the end of their useful service life at once. I think we have communicated effectively with our county leaders that we must have a proactive initiative to implement a plan that allows us to periodically update our fleet age, and that will have to include occasionally purchasing a new fire engine to blend in with the used fire engines we have purchased over the last few years. This grant was a huge bonus for the county in allowing us purchase a new fire engine for 45% of the cost instead of 100% of the cost to our county,” said Chief Green.
Mayor Stribling said that he is proud of our county fire department and the commitment they show every day for protecting and serving our county’s citizens and visitors. “These men and women volunteer to provide professional emergency services and we need to make sure we are doing what we can do provide them with safe equipment,” said Mayor Stribling.
Mayor Stribling, the DeKalb County Commission, and the DeKalb County Fire Department wishes to express their sincere thanks to the staff at Rural Development and UCDD guidance and support in the application and administration of this grant.