Local workers from the Dexter Area Fire Department are seeking federal help in an effort to better serve the local citizens, as the organization is looking to secure a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant to help supply the latest in rescue equipment, according to the Dexter Patch.
The FEMA grant would cover several significant costs for the department, as the money would help to provide training, five water suits, a specialized rescue boat and a John Deere Gator tractor for wooded-area operations, the news source reported.
"We haven't done any swift-water training, and to my knowledge, there's no department in Washtenaw County that has swift-water training — though the Huron River runs through us," Michael Grissom, a Lieutenant in the Dexter Fire Department, told the Patch.
Grissom also noted that while the department has been able to save several citizens, they were lucky that firefighters did not have to enter the water, due to the complete lack of training and experience that they had, reported the news source.
Crossover Utility Vehicles and more traditional models of the John Deere Gator series can range in size and power, including several military vehicles, according to the company website.
Michigan fire department seeking FEMA grant for new John Deere Gator Tracto
Grissom also noted that while the department has been able to save several citizens, they were lucky that firefighters did not have to enter the water.