Volunteer firefighters and emergency medical responders at Powers Volunteer Fire Department in Jones County were elated when they were notified on Friday, September 13 that the all-volunteer fire department had been awarded a Fiscal Year 2018 FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG).
What really made their full moon Friday the 13th even more joyous was that Robert and Liz Palmer, owners of Precision Quick Lube in Laurel, had just made a $5,000 donation less than two weeks earlier with the intent of providing the department funds to procure needed fire and rescue equipment. Little did anyone know that the $5,000 donation would turn out to be $1.52 more than the required grant matching amount of $4,998.48 and allow the department to immediately accept the $99,969.52 federal grant award.
As a result of the FEMA AFG grant award of $99,969.52 in federal funds and the matching $5,000.00 donation by the Palmer’s and Precision Quick Lube that Powers will use as the required match amount, Powers firefighters and emergency medical responders will be utilizing a total of $104,968.00 to procure the following:
tFirefighter I Training (NFPA 1001 Standard) for 16 volunteer firefighters;
*Firefighter II Training (NFPA 1001 Standard) for 20 volunteer firefighters;
*Digital pagers capable of operating on the MSWIN system – 26 pagers;
*Digital mobile radios capable of operating on the MSWIN system – 5 radios;
*Digital portable radios capable of operating on the MSWIN system – 11 radios.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have been awarded a FEMA FY2018 Assistance to Firefighters Grant,” notes Ed Ritchey, president of the Powers Volunteer Fire Department. “We are an exceptionally busy all-volunteer fire and rescue department and responded to 630 emergency calls for service just in calendar year 2018. The equipment and training received on this grant will help better prepare our volunteer firefighters and emergency medical responders for the very dangerous and difficult jobs they perform in the volunteer fire service. Just as a reminder, none of our firefighters or emergency medical responders receive any financial compensation for the hundreds of hours of volunteer service that they provide to residents of the Powers Community and Northeast Jones Fire District each and every year.”
Powers Fire Chief Joey Davis added, “When Robert and Liz Palmer made the $5,000 donation from Precision Quick Lube to our department, we had a list of equipment in mind that we needed. At our last regular meeting on Monday, September 9, we decided to wait to make a decision on what to purchase, as our Assistant Chief Kyle Howell was out on personal business and some of our firefighters had work and family obligations and couldn’t attend our meeting. Then ‘boom’ on Friday the 13th we get notified that our grant had been awarded and that the matching requirement was $4,998.48. We just kind of looked at each other and said ‘what are the chances of that happening.’”
Chief Davis concluded, “In addition to Robert and Liz Palmer, we can’t say thanks enough to Sheriff Alex Hodge for the assistance provided by the Jones County Sheriff’s Office and Grants Administrator Lance Chancellor in preparing and submitting our grant application. Lance is also a long-time member of our fire department and is well versed in the preparation of FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grants.”
Liz Palmer summed up her and Robert’s thoughts on the donation by saying, “God has blessed Precision Quick Lube with loyal customers and great employees. We feel it is our responsibility as Christians to give back to help others and we are happy to know this donation will benefit Powers Volunteer Fire Department and the residents they serve. We are just overjoyed that our donation will be used as a financial match to obtain even more funding for training and equipment for these community volunteers. We pray for all of those who serve in fire-rescue, law enforcement, emergency medical services, 911 dispatch and in emergency management. May God build a hedge of protection around each of them and keep them safe.”
Founded in 1988, Powers Volunteer Fire Department serves residents of the Powers Community in the Northeast Jones (NEJ) Fire District in Jones County. The department provides automatic aid and mutual aid to Glade, M&M, Rustin and Sandersville Volunteer Fire Departments in the NEJ Fire District as well as thirteen other Jones County VFDs, Laurel Fire Department and Ellisville Fire Department if and as needed. Powers will offer open training slots for NEJ Fire District volunteer firefighters to attend the Firefighter I and Firefighter II training at no charge, which will enhance the ability of all five of the volunteer fire departments in the NEJ Fire District to perform firefighting and rescue duties.