Nine Tennessee fire departments receive $10,000 grants

PIKEVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) – Nine volunteer fire departments across Tennessee are each receiving $10,000 grants through the State Farm Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program, in partnership with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC).

News 12 traveled to Pikeville to speak with members of the Rigsby Volunteer Fire Department, one of the recipients, about how they plan to use the money.

Volunteer firefighters make up nearly 65 percent of the U.S. fire service, and many rural departments operate on tight budgets, making it difficult to afford costly protective gear and updated equipment.

The Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program is awarding $1.5 million in total to 150 departments nationwide.

For Rigsby Volunteer Fire Department, the grant money comes at just the right time.

Fire Chief Justin Jackson explained, “We applied for the State Farm Good Neighbor Safety Grant several months ago and received word just a few weeks back that we got it. To be chosen was quite a surprise. It is very competitive. That $10,000 will go toward the inefficiencies and deficiencies in equipment that rural fire departments like ours often cannot afford.”

Firefighting gear comes with strict regulations to ensure safety in dangerous environments, and those costs quickly add up.

Captain Denny Pfrommer said, “Firefighting equipment is very expensive because it has a lot of regulations. If you are in a burning house, it has to hold up. That is why grants like these mean so much to departments like ours.”

The department already has plans for the funding.

“We plan on getting one air pack with that money,” Pfrommer explained. “That is the bottle firefighters wear on their backs to give them air when they are in a smoke-filled building.”

Both Chief Jackson and Captain Pfrommer expressed deep gratitude for the grant and the organizations behind it.

Chief Jackson added, “Anytime that we can use grant money like this to upgrade what we have, we are very thankful. These types of grants are few and far between, especially in rural communities. Whenever outside agencies like State Farm and the Volunteer Fire Council step in, it helps close the gaps in the inefficiencies that we have. Moving forward, we hope to continue to seek grant funding to help provide the best service we can, even though we are a volunteer department.”

For rural volunteer departments like Rigsby, the $10,000 may cover just one piece of vital equipment, but it represents much more — support, recognition, and an investment in the safety of both firefighters and the community they serve.

In Tennessee, the following volunteer fire departments will receive grants:

· Carters Valley Volunteer Fire Department (Mount Carmel)

· Cottage Grove Volunteer Fire Department

· Limestone Cove Volunteer Fire Department (Unicoi)

· Medina Fire Department

· North Hamblen County Volunteer Fire Department (Morristown)

· Notchey Creek Volunteer Fire Department (Madisonville)

· Rigsby Volunteer Fire Department (Pikeville)

· Shady Valley Volunteer Fire Department

· Stewart County Fire Rescue (Dover)

Additional video courtesy provided by the National Volunteer Fire Council.