Since before the start of the new fiscal year, the Roanoke Rapids Fire Department has received more than $100,0000 in grants to help acquire critical equipment.
The department received $9,000 from ECU North for two carbon monoxide monitors, $37,290 from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation for extrication equipment, and $65,000 from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant which, with a 5 percent match from the city comes to $69,038. The AFG will be used to purchase hoses and nozzles for the department’s second new truck, which is currently in production.
“Assistant Chief (Richard) Cook is the one who put together all this information and has worked with the grant writer in getting all this done,” said Chief Jason Patrick.
The equipment that will be procured from the AFG will consist of hoses and nozzles. “That’ll be all new supply lines for the new truck, all new attack lines for the new truck, new gate valves, new master intake valves,” Cook said.
Cook said the department was able to purchase equipment for the truck it just received. “The other truck that’s coming, we’ll be moving equipment off a 33,34-year-old truck so that equipment is older and outdated so we’ll update that equipment.”
The grant for the hoses, Cook said, “Puts us in a pretty good position.”
Patrick said it “enables us to put newer, updated equipment on this second truck that we’re getting. It allows us to do that at minimal cost to the city. We’ll have enough equipment not only for that new truck, but we’ll also be able to upgrade our other engine as well.”
The AFG is the grant that funded the new truck that rolled into the city in June.
“We’ve been blessed to be able to receive these grants,” Patrick said. “Grants are usually very hard to come by but the last three to four years we’ve been very blessed to be able to receive the amount of grant funding that we’ve got. It means a lot for our department because we had a lot of catching up to do.”
Patrick said Cook has done a great job. “That’s been his thing since he’s gotten into that position — working with the grant writer and gathering all the information to get to him to put us in the running for the grants. It’s a lot of information that goes into these grants.”
CO monitors
This equipment will allow the department to check the carbon monoxide levels of firefighters and patients, Patrick said. “It will help us with our rehab with our firefighters as they go in and fight fires. When they come out for rehab we can check them over with that a little bit better than just giving them some fluids and setting them down and resting them. We can check their O2 levels, their CO levels.”
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If the CO levels get too high it shows that a person needs to be put on oxygen instead of normal air, Patrick said, to get levels down and the CO out of their bloodstream.
The CO monitors will be carried on the department’s first responder vehicles, the fire chief said.
Firehouse Subs grant
In a statement from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, the organization announced that the department has been named a 2024 grant recipient, receiving $37,290 “to ensure the city of Roanoke Rapids is safer than ever.”
The grant will be used to purchase battery operated TNT Rescue Tools extrication equipment.
“We are committed to helping organizations such as the Roanoke Rapids Fire Department continue their life-saving work. We are honored to be able to award this grant and do our part to ensure that the city of Roanoke Rapids is safer for everyone, including first responders,” said Robin Peters, the foundation’s executive director.
The equipment includes a spreader, cutter and ram.
“The extrication equipment will be placed on our newest fire engine to provide resources for our citizens along with the many visitors that frequent our area,” Patrick said.
