Firefighters Get Grant from FEMA

The Bolivar Fire Department officially announced that it has received a grant in the amount of $83,795 through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters grant program.  In addition, the department was awarded the Volunteer Fire Equipment and Training (VFEAT) grant from the State of Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance for the city’s required 5% match ($3990.24) resulting in no cost to the city’s taxpayers.

The department applied for the grant in 2021 and received notification in August 2022 that it had been awarded the grant.  The grant application submitted by the department included the purchase and installation of a source capture exhaust system, along with the purchase of fire hoses and firefighting nozzles.

With the purchase and installation of a source capture exhaust system, the department hopes to reduce staff exposure to diesel exhaust emissions, thereby, reducing the staff’s exposure to carcinogens.  Over the past few years, health and safety codes and standards have clearly identified that vehicle exhaust emissions, in particular diesel exhaust, is a cancer-causing substance.  The diesel exhaust extraction system provides for the removal of apparatus exhaust emissions from the start-up of the engine to the door threshold.  Every vehicle housed in the department’s apparatus bay will be connected to the system.

“Although firefighters are subject to work-related exposures on an intermittent basis, vehicle exhaust emissions are the only work-related carcinogen that they are exposed to on a daily basis.  The most obvious benefit to a vehicle exhaust extraction system is the improved health and safety it provides to our firefighting and office personnel and to our visitors,” said Chief Price.  “We are thankful to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the awarding of this grant which will allow us to proactively address this specific health risk to our firefighters.”

Installation of the system began this week and is expected to be completed by May 5, 2023.