Klickitat County Fire District No. 3, based in Husum, will soon receive a Department of Homeland Security 2006 "Assistance to Firefighters Grant."
Mollie Krall, EMT and administrator at Fire District No. 3, received a call recently from U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings (R.-Wash.), who informed the district of the grant, which totals $102,719.
Krall, working with Fire Chief Jerry Jones and the district's Fire Commissioners, applied for funding to install exhaust removal equipment in the district's Husum, Cherry Lane, and Meadow Brook fire stations.
"Removing fumes from vehicles in the apparatus bay will protect us from exhaust toxicants, whether we're working in the bay or adjacent rooms," Jones explained. "This is long overdue. Installation of exhaust removal equipment will bring our department into OSHA/NIOSH statutory compliance."
Frequent building occupants are those attending district meetings and firefighter training sessions, as well as BZ-Husum and Snowden Community Council meetings. The primary goal of the Assistance to Firefighters Grants is to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and non-affiliated emergency medical services organizations.
According to the Homeland Security Web site, the grant program has helped firefighters and other first responders obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.
The Office of Grants and Training in the Department of Homeland Security administers the grants in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration.
The district will match the DHS's $102,719 contribution with $5,406 per the 95 percent-5 percent "matching" terms of the grant.
Other Klickitat County fire districts receiving Assistance to Firefighters Grants awards this year include White Salmon, District No. 15 (Klickitat), District No. 2 (Bickleton), and District No. 4 (Lyle).
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