Greene Co. receives $853,000 FEMA grant
WAYNESBURG — The 16 volunteer fire companies and the 911 dispatch center in Greene County recently received an $853,194 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The Assistance to Firefighters grant money will be used to replace the county’s current emergency radio system.
According to Eric Marshall, assistant chief of the Waynesburg-Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Company, they are fortunate to have received the grant because the Federal Communications Commission plans to make the new radio system a requirement for fire stations in the United States.
“The FCC said we weren’t going to buy parts or bands in that frequency,” Marshall said. “Right now, we can’t talk to police directly, we have to go through 911. We will be able to talk to them directly with the new system, and that’s a big plus.”
Greg Leathers, director of the county emergency management agency, said that the new system would provide new radios and pagers to all of the fire companies in the county.
“The radios we have are outdated and with the new technology available and some new requirements in the radio industry this will help the local fire departments,” Leathers said. “With the old equipment there were some issues. It’s going to create some new capabilities between police, fire and medical services.”
The federal grant requires a 10 percent match of $80,000 from the county.
Greene County commissioners Chairwoman Pam Snyder said she feels that it is important for the system to be updated. The grant and updated system will help to enhance public safety in the county, she said.
“We are very grateful that we were able to do this with very small investments from the county to enhance the fire companies,” Snyder said. “It will allow every fire company to have updated equipment to better serve the residents.”
Marshall said he is grateful that the county was able to receive the grant.
“With the price tag being close to $950,000, a lot of fire departments are able to do this in this economy,” he said. “It will be a better, newer radio system that we are getting; the old one was 40 to 50 years old.”
In the Waynesburg-Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Company’s official statement, the company stated that the grant would lead to the purchase of four base stations that will be used by Greene County 911. The grant will replace the countrywide fire radio communications.
According to Leathers, the grant will allow the fire stations to replace portable radios, pagers, mobile radios and base stations for all of the the county’s fire companies.
“It will change fire communications from a high to a low band,” he said. “The old system is just outdated… There are no real problems. It will just make communication easier and better.”
The grant is important to increase communication between fire, police and emergency medical services, Snyder said.
“It will allow them to communicate with EMS personnel and local police,” she said. “This grant is very important for them to update their system. We have fire companies across this county that just struggle to keep their doors open.”