ROCKWELL ó The Rockwell City Fire Department was awarded a $1,932 state grant through the 2009 Volunteer Fire Department Fund, Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Wayne Goodwin announced in a press release.
The check will be mailed to Chief Tim C. Linker to be used by the department to purchase needed equipment. The equipment is purchased using matching funds and must be approved by the Department of Insurance Office of State Fire Marshal.
“Fire and rescue organizations protect our communities large and small across North Carolina, but sometimes their budgets don’t grow with their responsibilities,” Goodwin said. “Our emergency service personnel should be supported with the best equipment and supplies needed to do their jobs correctly and safely.”
Goodwin thanked Linker and his staff for their hard work and dedication and expressed confidence the fire department would “use this money to serve their community even better.”
Rockwell City Fire Department has received a total of $9,258 from the Volunteer Fire Department Fund in the program’s 22 years.
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 necessary equipment.
Since the program’s inception, the Department of Insurance has distributed more than $65 million to volunteer fire departments across the state.