For the past 3 years, Hickerson Station VFD has been actively working to secure funding for our outdated Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus, also known as “air packs.” Their current SCBAs have been in service since 2003 and have surpassed their normal service life.
The department decided to apply for FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters grant in January 2021 with the help of a local grant writer. With this grant, FEMA would pay 95% of the cost towards new SCBAs, and the other 5% would be purchased with funds from the Hickerson Station VFD. They were notified they were not selected that following December.
So they decided to re-apply for the grant in January 2022. Hickerson Station VFD was notified last month that they had been selected for the grant and were approved to purchase 20 new air packs, with FEMA’s portion totaling just over $153k.
Hickerson Station VFD are incredibly blessed and excited to begin training with these new SCBAs and putting them into service within the next couple of weeks. With this new equipment, they can ensure the safety of firemen who volunteer their time and energy to keep the members of the community safe.
