Dexter Area Fire Department Applies for Homeland Security Grant for New Fire Engine

To help replace aging equipment, the , has applied for a U.S. Homeland Security grant to purchase a new fire engine.

Jim Seta, DAFD board member, said a new engine costs approximately $350,000. The local match for the grant is only 5 percent or $20,000.

"We were actually encouraged by Homeland Security to apply for the grant because our service area has gotten a lot larger since taking on all of Dexter Township this year," Seta said. "Given the age of our fleet and the number of vehicles we have, we had to look at doing something in the near future."

Seta said the DAFD did not include the $20,000 match in its 2012 budget. However, should the department receive the grant, it will take the matching funds from its reserve account.

"There will be no additional expense to the municipalities that are included in the DAFD," Seta said. "We've been trying to get as much of our capital improvements paid for through grants."

In other news

• DAFD firefighter Lee Root was chosen by the Washtenaw County Technical Rescue Team to attend a Homeland Security training workshop at Texas A&M University. The class will be paid for by Homeland Security.
• The DAFD is increasing its budget by $20,000 for 2012.
• Through October, DAFD has been called on 879 runs in 2011 versus 862 runs in 2010.