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Cresson Volunteer Fire Company Receives Rural Development Grant

September 9, 2019

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Glenn "GT" Thompson announced the Cresson Volunteer Fire Company as the recipient of an $11,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Economic Impact Initiative Grant. The funds will be used to complete much needed repairs to the facility.

"Having spent nearly three decades as a volunteer firefighter, I understand the challenges small departments face when it comes to maintaining facilities and having the proper equipment," said Rep. Thompson. "These funds will help offset operational costs, so Cresson's firefighters can focus on responding to emergencies and continuing to keep the local community safe."

Eric Hott, a Cresson Volunteer Fire Company Trustee noted that the station's ceiling is in need of serious renovations and that opportunities like Economic Impact Initiative Grants are critical to sustaining the Fire Company.

"Without grants like these, it is hard for volunteer fire companies to exist," said Hott. "We do numerous fundraisers each year, from weekly bingo to a week-long community carnival. More hours are spent on fundraising than emergency calls and training. This grant is being used to remove the dilapidated ceiling in our truck bays and replace with a better quality ceiling and increase the insulation above it to help with heating costs. Many times, grants are only considered for firefighting equipment, but you still need a structure to house the equipment. We are very excited to do updates to our building," Hott said.

ABOUT USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS & SERVICES

USDA Rural Development operates over fifty financial assistance programs for a variety of rural applications. Economic Impact Initiative Grants provide funding to assist in the development of essential community facilities in rural communities with extreme unemployment and severe economic depression. An essential community facility is one that provides an essential service to the local community, is needed for the orderly development of the community, serves a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.