Hiwassee Dam – Firefighters at the Hiwassee Dam Volunteer Fire Department will soon be wearing new turnout gear thanks to a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant totaling $154,170.
FEMA paid 95 percent of the grant, or $146,828.57, while the fire department provided a 5 percent match of $7,341.43. The money will go a long way toward replacing turnout gear, also known as bunker gear, which includes coats, pants, helmets, boots, gloves and hoods. Training materials are also covered under the grant.
Turnout gear costs about $3,500 per person. It must be replaced every 10 years due to National Fire Protection Association standards.
“Without something like this FEMA grant, it’s virtually impossible for a rural department at $3,500 a person to replace it,” Hiwassee Dam Fire Chief Chad McNabb said. “This grant’s really gonna help us get back to being fully compliant with our turnout gear.”
State grants help pay for other items, like hoses, nozzles and the Jaws of Life. State grants are 50/50, meaning the state and fire department each contribute half of the total amount.
“North Carolina has a good state grant program through the Department of Insurance that’s funded through various insurance programs,” McNabb added.
The Hiwassee Dam department formed in 1974. A new building was dedicated in 2021.
McNabb, who has been in charge since 2009, said his department has about 50 active firefighters, with a number of support members. Hiwassee Dam responds to about 225 calls per year, which include fires, vehicle accidents, public assist calls as well as landing zones, which helps injured people leave the area via helicopter transport.
“Getting a grant is very competitive,” McNabb said. “We’ve applied for it every single year and been turned down for 10 years, but we finally hit it.”
The older gear will not be discarded.
“There are agencies around the country that will collect outdated gear and ship it overseas because overseas departments don’t have the NFPA making the rules. We’re gonna find a reputable one and the gear will get picked up and shipped to Central America, Africa, South America,” McNabb said.
“There’s still a lot of life in the gear, it’s just that the United States is limited to 10 years before it needs to be replaced.”
While the department waits nine months for the new turnout gear to arrive, the chief must turn his attention back to needing more volunteer firefighters.
A volunteer fire department is far less expensive to run than a paid department, which helps keep taxes lower for local citizens. Hiwassee Dam’s operating costs run about $270,000 a year, compared to the $3 million it would take to operate if the department had a bare minimum of paid firefighters on staff.
Men and women are needed to help serve the community with a variety of different services.
It’s not just about fighting fires. Other duties include operating a truck, helping with helicopter landing zones, traffic control, vehicle accidents, swift water and lake rescues, writing reports and keeping track of other firefighters on scene.
Support members are important to the department. Plus, all training and gear is provided by the department at no cost to volunteers.
“We’ve had members as old as 82 who were still active,” McNabb said. “They’d show up on scenes and do what they could.”
Anyone interested in volunteering with the Hiwassee Dam Volunteer Fire Department should email McNabb at chief@hiwasseedamfire.com.