Three Rowan County fire departments have received more than $25,000 to purchase needed equipment.
State Fire Marshal Wayne Goodwin announced that the Union, Faith and Pooletown departments will get grants from the 2009 Volunteer Fire Department Fund.
The General Assembly created the fund in 1988 to help volunteer units raise money for equipment and supplies. The grant funds must be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to an approved amount, by monies raised locally to purchase equipment.
According to a press release from the N.C. Department of Insurance, the grants are:
– Faith ó $17,520. Over the past 22 years since the program began, the Faith Volunteer Fire Department has received a total of $143,597 from the fund.
– Pooletown ó $8,475. During the past 22 years, Pooletown has received $67,883.
– Union ó $521. The department has received $8,366 from the fund.
Since the program’s inception, the Department of Insurance has distributed more than $65 million to volunteer fire departments across the state.