In an effort to replace a 1981 fire truck and possibly improve the city’s ISO rating, the Town of Alexandria is planning to file an application for a Community Development Block Grant to purchase a new fire engine.
Alexandria Fire Chief Brian Partridge addressed the issue during the regular monthly meeting in September and the mayor and aldermen voted to proceed with the application.
The city’s grant writer for the project, Fay Leonard of Vantage Consulting Services, informed the mayor and aldermen during their regular monthly meeting Tuesday night that a public hearing will be held Friday, October 30 at 2:30 p.m. at city hall to assess the community development needs of the town and to solicit comments from citizens regarding the possible filing of the CDBG grant application with the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. The hearing is open to all citizens of Alexandria.
“The town is eligible to apply for a grant called a Community Development Block Grant. They (application) are due by the end of February. The announcements (grant recipients) would not be made until the fall of 2016. In my opinion the fire department is in dire straits for a new vehicle and that is one thing we can apply for through this grant program,” said Leonard.
“There is one requirement we have to meet and that is a minimum of 51% of the people served by the fire department (including a five mile radius outside the city limits) have to be considered low to moderate income. In order to determine that we have to do a target area survey. That is going to be a fairly large undertaking but our volunteer firemen and others are going to volunteer to help do that survey,” Leonard continued.
“At the next meeting, November 17 I will have a formal resolution for you to adopt. We can’t do that tonight because the grant requirement is that you cannot pass your resolution until after you’ve had your public hearing.”
The total grant project would be for $331,580 including the city’s local matching obligation of $16,580 should the grant be approved.
Due to so many applicants competing for grant dollars, Leonard cautioned that approval for this project is not a certainty. “The fact that your fire truck is in such bad condition is going to be helpful to you in the scoring for the grant but it is so competitive. For example for the 2015 cycle, there were 131 of these grants submitted statewide and only 54 were approved because the money just goes so far. About 40% of what was submitted was able to be funded. I am hopeful about it but it is very competitive,” said Leonard.
Chief Partridge told WJLE in September that if the grant is approved, the city would have funds to purchase a new custom cab class 1 pumper, which would improve the department’s water flow capabilities in fighting fires. By having a new fire truck, Chief Partridge said the city’s ISO rating might even go from a 4 to a 3, which could mean lower commercial and homeowners insurance premiums. The city must keep two fire trucks in order to maintain its current ISO rating. Earlier this year, the city learned that the Insurance Services Office raised Alexandria’s Public Protection Classification (PPC) rating from a Class 7 to a Class 4.
The Alexandria Fire Department is staffed with twelve volunteers and two fire trucks. The oldest truck, a 1981 model, is on indefinite loan to the city from Wilson County, but would be returned if a new truck is purchased. The other fire truck is a 1997 model. Although the primary engine (1997 truck) is still in good condition and could be used as a backup, Chief Partridge said the 1981 engine has serious mechanical problems and brake system issues.
If the city were to be awarded a grant to purchase a new fire truck, Chief Partridge said no additional equipment would be needed. “We already have the equipment. All the equipment we received from an Assistance to Firefighters Grant four years ago,” he said.
It could take up to a year before the city learns if it will get the grant.
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