The Smithville Volunteer Fire Department has been denied FEMA grant funding to help pay for the purchase of an aerial truck and the necessary equipment to go on it.
Fire Chief Charlie Parker reported to the Mayor and Aldermen Monday night that he has been informed that the department’s applications for FEMA grant funds have been turned down.
Last June, the aldermen voted to hire a grant writer, Johnny Robertson, at the request of Chief Parker to assist the city in seeking federal funding. “The ladder truck is actually on one grant through FEMA and the equipment that goes on it (ladder truck) is on a second grant,” said Chief Parker at the meeting last June. Both can be applied for at the same time. He (Robertson) has agreed to do both of these grants for $3,000. Its $1,500 per grant. He’ll do all the narratives and get it in. If we are awarded the grant, the $3,000 cost is recoverable from the grant so the grant would actually pay for that money. In the event that we didn’t get the grant, we would still have to pay him the $3,000,” said Chief Parker.
Had the grants been funded, the city would have been responsible for a five percent local match for each.
Smithville firefighters have long wanted an aerial (ladder) truck, which they say the city needs to reach taller buildings and hard to get to structures and roof tops.
Last month, city firefighters had the opportunity to test run a 75 foot ladder demo truck from the EVS Mid South Company for a few days.
Alderman Shawn Jacobs, the city’s police and fire commissioner, is convinced that Smithville needs a ladder truck, saying Monday night during the council meeting that the city could have used one during an apartment fire at City Walk Apartments last month. Jacobs said he was concerned for the safety of the firefighters watching them have to use a bucket truck in battling that blaze.
No word yet on whether the fire fighters will ask the city to fund a ladder truck in next year’s budget.
Meanwhile, the aldermen Monday night approved the list of city volunteer firefighters and officers elected by the department for the calendar year.
Those officers include Chief Charlie Parker, Deputy Chief Hoyte Hale, Captain Jeff Wright, and Lieutenants Danny Poss, Jon Poss, Anthony Wright, and Donnie Cantrell.
Chief Parker also mentioned the number of years each city fighter has been a member of the department including the following:
Kevin Adcock ,one year
Corey Killian, in his first year
Ronald Whitaker, three years
Glenn Lattimore, four years
Stephanie Wright, six years
Gary Johnson and Randall Hunt, seven years
Wallace Caldwell, eight years
Charles Young, thirteen years,
Wink Brown, fourteen years
Greg Bess, seventeen years as photographer
Anthony Wright, twenty years
Jon Poss, twenty one years
Jeff Wright, twenty six years
Hoyte Hale, twenty seven years
Danny Poss, Donnie Cantrell, and Charlie Parker, thirty two years
Chief Parker reported that the city fire department responded to two fire calls in January and one hazmat call due to a gas spill.
The city has $10,000 budgeted this year under capital outlay to purchase a vehicle, possibly a pickup truck, to transport firefighters to training or to run errands for the department so that they don’t have to use the other emergency vehicles or their own automobiles. Chief Parker said Monday night the department has not had any success so far in finding a good used truck through government surplus. He asked if the department could buy a used truck from a dealership instead. City officials said such a purchase would have to be within 10% of market value and meet any other purchasing requirements. No action was taken.
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