Any grants available for a rescue?

We are a small volunteer department, which has of course the ever-present tight budget attatched to it. We run about 80-85% medical and are looking at purchasing a rescue. We currently run our frontline engine on all med and fire calls, which has taken a toll. I was wondering if anybody knew of any grants available for a rescue truck, were kicking around ideas in the neighborhood of a F-450 crew cab with a custom box body on the back, with room for a generator, backboards, portable lights, a couple scba's, and our trauma kits, and maybe a cascade. We are also looking at the idea of a F-250 or -350 with a camper shell on the back. We are thinking along the lines that it is better to get what fits us now--maybe pay a little extra for it, but when the time comes, it will be exactly what we need--versus going without a grant on the budget we have and not getting what we need. We arent a bells'n'whistles kind of department, so the rig will have only what is needed, not all the extras that rarely get used. any ideas or suggestions? it will be similar to this truck if we got a grant for the bigger unit.

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Fred Edwards on January 12, 2010 at 11:33am

Rescues are a low priority for areas with a low population density (rural) on the FEMA AFG Grant program, so funding from them for a rescue is pretty much impossible. Did you ever think of putting in for the AFG grant for something similar to the picture you have posted, only with a small water tank and small pump? This would change the unit in AFG terms from a rescue to a quick attack, and quick attacks are a very high priority for rural departments, and if properly justified by your grant writer it could be a very "fundable" project to apply for. Any questions PM me.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Justin Allen on January 12, 2010 at 6:05pm

Fred you bring up a great point with the "mini pump/quick attack" idea. this would actually kill two birds with one stone if you will, as we have no brush truck either. We have a great mutual aid department which we work closely with who has a brush truck, but it would be nice to have our own to minimize the resources we tie up on an incident. I certainly appreciate you pointing that out. It has been mentioned before, but we were at the time thinking of having a seperate rescue and brush truck respectively. Now that you point that out about the grant, it will be brought up for discussion.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Justin Allen on January 12, 2010 at 6:10pm

Chief, this is another option we are considering. The picture I posted would be optimal for our department, but a truck like yours would also suit us very well. We have a few sister departments that have a very similar setup as yours that works well for them. This is the current "debate" if you will that we are exploring. Do ya'll keep the trauma kits in the cab, or in the back? Also, what under the side doors on the shell? I appreciate the help. If ya'll got any other suggestions, advice, input I'm all ears.

Any grants available for a rescue?

Replies to This Discussion

FireRescue Magazine

Find Members Fast