From Swan Quarter Volunteer Fire Department

On May 16, the North Carolina Department of Insurance announced that the Swan Quarter Volunteer Fire Department was awarded a $29,934.96 grant though the 2016 Volunteer Fire Department Fund from the state.

These funds will be used to purchase some of the necessary equipment for the SQVFD’s Ag and Grain Bin Rescue Project that they have been actively working on since early 2015. The equipment will be purchased using matching funds and must be approved by the Department of Insurance Office of the State Fire Marshall.

In a press release, Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshall Wayne Goodwin stated: “Fire and rescue organizations protect our communities large and small across North Carolina, but sometimes their budgets don’t grow with the responsibilities. Our emergency service personnel should be supported with the best equipment and supplies needed to do their jobs correctly and safely.”

Although the Ag and Grain Bin Project has been on their minds for a long time, it was only last year that Chief Jeffrey Stotesberry and other members of the all-volunteer force began an all-out effort to fund it. With almost 83,000 acres of cultivated farmland and between 150-200 grain bins/silos in Hyde County, they wanted to be prepared should the need to rescue someone trapped inside a bin arise. Originally the thought was to procure a grain entrapment rescue tube, the related equipment and necessary training to enable them to do that. After talking to many interested parties in the community and experts in the field, the project has expanded to include other agri-related rescues, such as persons trapped under an overturned piece of equipment.

To skeptics, the initial goal of raising $10,000 seemed impossible. When the budget increased ten-fold, it seemed insurmountable. Stotesberry and others began meeting with members of the community, farmers and other agri-business related parties, explaining the project and answering questions while seeking their support. To date, almost $34,000 — not including the grant award — has already been raised.

Stotesberry explained: “We are going forward with the project, even though we don’t have all of the funds. We know that other promised backing — in the form of monetary contributions or in-kind services — will be forthcoming.

“If necessary, we can scale back the project and still accomplish our original goal. With the training that we will be providing our members and the initial equipment we procure, we are well on our way to being able to offer a service to our agricultural community, should the need arise,” he continued.

Since the North Carolina General Assembly created the Volunteer Fire Department Fund in 1988, the SQVFD has received a total of $141,173.30 for much-needed equipment and supplies.

Commissioner Goodwin said, “I know the Swan Quarter Volunteer Fire Department Inc. will use this money to serve their community even better. Thank you, Chief Jeffrey Stotesberry, for all of your hard work and thanks to your dedicated staff.”

The Swan Quarter VFD was established in 1971 by a group of citizens who were concerned with providing an organized fire-safety presence for the community. Since that time, their area of operation has expanded, as has the level of services they provide. Today, they operate with 25 unpaid volunteers who provide not only fire-incident response, but also first-responder service for medical emergencies. They also work with the Hyde County Schools to provide fire-safety awareness to the youth of the community.