By Paul Garrod
Staff Writer
ALMENA TWP. – A total of $48,250 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds recently received by Almena Township will be used for different projects by the three different fire districts, Paw Paw Firefighters Association, Mattawan Fire District and Gobles-Pine Grove, that serve Almena Township.
Paw Paw Firefighters Association will use their funding of $23,000 to construct a new training facility that will be located at the Paw Paw Fire Department building located on Gremps Street.
“It will be a state-of-the-art facility, according to Paw Paw Fire Department Chief Jim DeGroff. “Not only will it be used by the Paw Paw Fire Department, but also by other fire departments, as well as the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office, local police departments and emergency medical services (EMS),” said DeGroff.
DeGroff said, “This facility will help with our next ISO audit as our department is trying to bring our class rating from a 3 to a 2. We still need more donations to make this happen, however, we are well on our way.”
He concluded, “We want to thank Almena Township for their support of this department.”
Scott Brooks, Mattawan Fire District Chief, said his department will use the $13,000 funding for improved radio communications, specifically new portable radios.
The $13,000 will be used for technology upgrades that will greatly enhance their training effectiveness and ability across multiple fire departments, police and EMS.
“Mattawan Fire district is currently using refurbished Motorola portable radios that are approaching 15 years old. The Federal ARPA funds will secure the purchase of 12 new Kenwood radios,” said Brooks.
Brooks said, “Mattawan Fire District has been researching and trying new radios for the past 12 months to identify what best suits their needs. After narrowing down and selecting Kenwood radios, an opportunity to utilize Federal ARPA funds presented itself. The Almena Township Fire Committee approved the request from myself and other departments.”
He added, “We have an incredible working relationship with Almena Township and cannot thank them enough for this opportunity.”
Gobles-Pine Grove Fire Chief Brian Cronk said the $12,250 will be used for maintenance to their “Live Burn Facility,” which is utilized for training opportunities with the department, as well as other agencies.
“Almena is thankful for each department’s services every day, all day. Without their watchful hand, we simply couldn’t enjoy the life we have. This is truly an honor to help them for once,” said Kelly Redmond, a member of the Almena Township Board Fire Department Committee.
