The Van Buren County Volunteer Fire Department purchased new turnout gear thanks to a grant.
Mayor Greg Wilson said receiving the grant was a big help financially for the volunteers.
“If we did not seek that grant, that would have been a cost the volunteer fire departments were going to have to bear,” Wilson said. “Again, they are volunteers, so the majority of their funding comes from them and fund raising.”
Wilson said the grant provided enough funds for each volunteer to receive a new turnout suit. The new gear is already in use by all five departments.
“We can never do enough to help them as much as we can,” Wilson said. “That is our fire department. Those guys do not get paid and do this from the heart. I respect them greatly.”
The grant that made the purchase possible was a Community Development Block Grant. Last year, the volunteers received around 60 new self-contained breathing apparatuses from the same grant.
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