County Board Hears how Local Fire Departments Utilized ARPA Funds
•September 20, 2023•
by Crystal Reed
The Moultrie County Board held a regular meeting on Thursday, September 14. Board member Scott Buxton attended the meeting via phone. During the guest speaker portion of the meeting, the board was able to hear from representatives of Sullivan Fire, Lovington Fire and Bethany Fire Departments and Moultrie County Habitat for Humanity in regards to how the organizations utilized their ARPA funds.
Sullivan Assistant Fire Chief Chris Wright reported they received a ARPA grant in 2022. He noted they were operating a 2008 Ford ambulance that was experiencing many mechanical problems to the point where it would not run. They had another ambulance that was out of commission due to striking a deer.
The department made a request for $245,000 to purchase a new ambulance to replace the 2008 one. Several options were explored including mounting the box on a new chassis. They found a demo ambulance at a reduced cost of $208,000.