HFD secures grant for live fire trainer

More Northeast Missouri firefighters will soon have an opportunity to participate in live fire training sessions. The Hannibal Fire Department learned Friday that its grant application for a mobile live fire trainer has been approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
While the Assistance to Firefighters Grant was sought by the HFD, it will provide regional benefits, according to Tim Carter, Hannibal fire chief.
“This is a regional grant and it was awarded as a regional grant to benefit the 16 counties in Northeast Missouri,” said Carter, who started the application process in March.
The grant is for just under $255,000. The local share will amount to in the neighborhood of $64,000. Carter is hopeful that some of the fire departments which make up Northeast Missouri’s Region B will contributed to help cover the local match.
“Out of those 100 departments we’re looking at maybe 20 kicking in,” he said.
Carter is unsure what the cost-share breakdown will be among the departments.
“We haven’t had a chance to speak with all the departments directly that’s effected in Region B,” he said. “It really depends on how many of the departments within the region participate before we can actually cut a definite amount of money for their cost share. The fewer departments the higher the cost share.”
Carter stressed that even departments whose budgets are so strapped that they cannot afford to contribute a cent will still have the opportunity to use the trainer.
“This trailer is going to help us be able to provide that type of training, not only to our department but to area departments in our region,” he said.
To help cover the local match Carter intends to seek financial contributions from the Division of Fire Safety, the Fire Education Commission of Missouri and Missouri Propane Association.
The order for the trainer will not be placed until late December or early January.
“By Jan. 1 I will definitely know what the Division of Fire Safety and the Missouri Propane Association are willing to contribute to partner up with us on this,” said Carter, adding that the necessary funding to cover the purchase won’t be needed until the trailer is delivered in approximately six months after the order is placed.
Once the trainer arrives, live fire training will be much easier to conduct than it is now.
“To actually hold those live fire training evolutions there’s several hoops we have to jump through,” said Carter, whose department conducted a live burn training session of its own last month when it burned a vacant house slated for demolition on Zeigler Street. “And every time we burn a structure down we take on a risk of injury to our firefighters that even if it’s within the (state safety) guidelines is still unacceptable. This is going to be a safer training evolution with the realistic effects of the fire.”