PIONEER FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
PRESS RELEASE
– For Immediate Release –
Contact:
Jack Daniels, Fire Chief
Tel.: (530) 620-4444
Email:
Pioneer Fire District Receives FEMA Grant for New Fire Engine
Larger, more powerful engine will reduce response times
October 15, 2015
Somerset, Calif. - The Pioneer Fire Protection District has recently been awarded a grant through the FEMA “Assistance to Firefighters” program. The district will receive $404,000 towards the purchase of a new fire engine.
“We have been submitting applications for this grant since 2008,” said Pioneer Fire Chief Jack Daniels. “This year it finally came through.” The district received notification of the grant in June, Daniels said.
The district awarded the contract to the KME Kovatch Company, for a total cost of $445,000. KME provides equipment for fire agencies all over the country, and this year received a “Gold rating” from the U.S. Defense Department.
Daniels said the new Type I Fire Engine will be larger and has more horsepower, which will reduce response time for the district’s paramedics and fire crews. Along with district’s new Type III engine, the district will cross-staff both engines, effectively doubling the life span of both vehicles. Daniels anticipates that the district will not need to add or replace any apparatus for another 15 years, making way for other, much-needed capital improvements in the fire district.
The Pioneer Fire Protection District serves roughly 10,000 residents over a 296 square mile area, and runs approximately 750 calls for service annually. The district has one full-time paramedic engine company, staffed 24 hours per day, and one staffed patrol with reserve volunteer Firefighter/EMT’s.
Daniels said that the district has seen a significant increase in call volume since the last fire engine was purchased in 2004.
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