Crawford County Fire Department receives grant to recruit volunteers
A new grant is helping a rural fire department in Middle Georgia recruit more volunteer firefighters.
FORT VALLEY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A new grant is helping a rural fire department in Middle Georgia recruit more volunteer firefighters.
The Crawford County Fire Department received a federal grant of $223,600. The grant is part of FEMA’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, or SAFER program.
Fire Chief Randall Pate is currently the only paid firefighter in Crawford County. He says the money will go towards hiring a recruiter to bring in and and retain trained volunteer firefighters.
“Having somebody here on paid to be with me during the day, it’s going to be awesome,” Chief Pate said. “It’s gonna allow me to get a lot more done, and the fact is I can’t do anything by myself. I need help.”
The Crawford County Fire Department is 100% volunteer staffed. This saves county residents hundreds of thousands of tax and insurance dollars.
There are eight fire stations in the county, and each station must have at least four firefighters to meet ISO insurance standards.
Right now, the department has around 45 volunteers. According to Chief Pate, that’s a small number.
“Volunteers for Crawford County saves money,” he said. “So the more volunteers we have, the better we can protect and service Crawford County.”
Emergency response time is currently six to 12 minutes. With more volunteers, the response time can be even faster.
The fire department serves a population of approximately 12,000, responding to calls ranging from cats stuck in trees to structure fires and search and rescue operations.
Chief Pate says it’s all about helping the community.
“It takes somebody with a special heart and special dedication, and ultimately just a special person to be a volunteer,” Chief Pate said. “They’re awesome people.”
The fire department is currently accepting applications for volunteers. Chief Pate says if you feel like something might limit you from volunteering, apply anyway, because the department has lots of positions to fill.
