Village seeks grant assistance
By John Faucher
The Hortonville-Hortonia Fire District will be equipped with new air packs in 2019.
The Hortonville Village Board unanimously approved purchasing the air packs for $148,309 at its Oct. 4 board meeting.
The air packs will be ordered from 5 Alarm Fire and Safety Equipment LLC.
Village Administrator David DeTroye said he is working with Hortonville-Hortonia Fire Chief Dave Dorn in applying for grants to help offset the cost.
It was noted that the last five attempts at grants to help purchase new air tanks had failed in previous years.
“Unfortunately that is the hardest grant to try to achieve,” said DeTroye. “In any of my past grant writing experiences, I’ll go on record in saying they’re nearly impossible.”
DeTroye said he is pursuing a more localized grant through Firehouse Subs, a private restaurant chain. Firehouse Subs has a public safety foundation that funds life-saving equipment and educational opportunities for public safety organizations.
The foundation has awarded more than $35 million in grants since 2005.
“They tend to be more of a local hands-on type of grant opportunity,” said DeTroye.
The grant application deadline is Oct. 29.
Village Trustee Kelly Schleif said the purchase order for the new air packs would need to be submitted by November, and payment would be expected sometime in February 2019 when the new air packs are delivered.
He said the cost of $148,309 would be a 60/40 split between the village and the town of Hortonia.
Hortonia’s town board has approved the purchase, Schleif said.
He also said the village would be better off financing the equipment purchase through local lenders rather than the manufacturer.
DeTroye replied that the purchase was included in the village budget.