Receiving a safety improvement grant has allowed Gilmer Fire and Rescue to purchase additional field equipment for its firefighters.
The county agency was notified this past summer that it received an employee safety grant from insurance provider the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG). The $4,720 grant was officially awarded in November.
Per ACCG, $1.5 million in grant funds will be awarded statewide over the next three years, including $500,000 that’s already been dispersed this year.
Public safety agencies “fostering a culture of workplace safety through additional training, equipment or services” were eligible to apply for the employee safety grant.
“We are pleased to provide this newly-created grant program to assist members in improving their safety efforts. The opportunity to receive the Employee Safety Grant is one of the many benefits of being part of ACCG’s member-owned workers’ compensation program,” said Frederick Favors, ACCG Board of Trustees Chairman.
Gilmer Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director Keith Kucera said the grant was used to purchase equipment that will be used for clearing trees and debris, as well as fighting forest fires.
“You can only use this grant for specific (equipment),” he added.
The fire department purchased 14 protective jumpsuits, which are used in place of heavier firefighter turnout gear when fighting wildfires and brush fires.
“They are flame retardant Nomex suits, which can be washed and reused,” said Kucera. “The suits are for any type of brush fire. They are lightweight and very maneuverable, whereas your standard structure fire gear is not. (That type of) turnout gear is used for structural firefighting, but it’s not functional in a forest fire. If you did wear it (in a forest fire setting), you’d pass out in about 10 minutes because of the weight.”
Gilmer firefighters can be called to assist wildland fire crews employed by the Georgia Forestry Commission.
“Our primary focus is on structural protection from fires, but most of your homes here are in wooded areas,” Kucera noted.
Eight newly purchased arborist safety gear kits will be used by chainsaw crews clearing fallen trees. The safety kits include helmets, chaps, face shields, gloves and hearing protection.
Removing downed trees is a regular task in the heavily wooded county, Kucera confirmed.
“Any time a storm blows through or when you have any accumulation of ice, that arborist gear is crucially important for the safety of our crews,” he added. “They’re out (clearing) anytime you get a storm that blows through, especially last year when we had that storm that blew down (so many) trees in Coosawattee.”
The ACCG safety grant is one of four federal and state grants awarded to Gilmer Fire and Rescue this year.
A $5,000 grant funded by Georgia’s excise tax on fireworks allowed for the purchase of new 4-inch fire hose for department trucks.
A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Management Performance Grant funded the purchase of eight new mini-thermal imaging cameras, as well as a radio repeater — a field communication tool — and an additional tactical channel the fire department shares with the Gilmer Sheriff’s Office.
A $500 Brant Chesney Fallen Firefighter Grant administered by the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation allowed for the purchase of new equipment for the agency’s mobile fire safety classroom.
“There will be many more (grants for which we will be applying). That’s one of the mission statements we’re working on — to try and really capitalize as much as we can on any state and federal grants that are available,” Kucera said.