$2 Million Now Available for Tennessee Rescue Squad Safety and Response Gear
Rescue squads in Tennessee can now apply for state grants for equipment used in emergency response and for equipment used to protect rescue workers.
The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance announced this week that $2 million is now available for the grants. The program is similar to one that provides grants to volunteer fire departments in the state.
To be eligible for the funding, squads must have an active registration with the Tennessee Secretary of State and must be recognized by a local government. Some 90 squads across the state provide rescue services, including extrication, structural collapse response and swift-water rescue, TDCI said in a bulletin.
Applications will be accepted until Feb. 10. They will scored and submitted to a committee that includes members of the Tennessee Rescue Squad Associations and the TDCI Assistant Commissioner of Fire Prevention. For information, squads can email Michelle Price, the department’s director of education and outreach, at SFMO.grants@tn.gov or may call her at (629) 259-1713.