On Monday, representatives from Alabama’s Mountains, Rivers, & Valleys Council (RC&D) welcomed Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter, Senate Majority Leader Steve Livingston, and DeKalb County grant recipients for a $59,000 check presentation.
The RC&D Council awarded grants to support a wide range of initiatives with funding amounts ranging from $5,000 to $10,000.
Projects include safety and educational improvements, a $5,000 grant to Sylvania for Operation Shock and De-Escalate, $5,240 to Wills Valley Elementary School for a book vending machine, and $5,423 to Fort Payne City Schools for a water conservation initiative. The Henagar Volunteer Fire Department received $6,841 for accident scene safety, Cornerstone Christian Academy $8,000 for student safety, and the Town of Fyffe $8,496 for park updates. Additional funding includes $10,000 to Alabama Lions Sight for a mobile eye clinic and $10,000 to Fischer Rescue Squad for search and rescue equipment.
Several of the grant recipients were unable to attend, but those present shared with the audience the need for their projects and how they would benefit their city or organization. Alisha Wooten with the Henagar Fire Department explained the need for its Accident Scene Safety Project.
Wooten said that in Fiscal Year 2024, the Henagar Volunteer Fire Department chose the Accident Scene Safety Project to improve the safety of firefighters responding to traffic incidents. This initiative was spurred by close calls, including a near miss involving a firefighter directing traffic at night. Located at a busy intersection between Alabama Highway 40 and Alabama Highway 75, the department receives numerous calls for traffic control and rescue assistance.
With the $6,841 RC&D grant, the department acquired 30 high-visibility breakaway vests, 25 personal safety lights with clips, four stop/slow signs with poles, four warning signs for fire scenes, and 30 new reflective traffic cones. This updated and expanded the team’s safety gear, meeting Traffic Incident Management System (TIMS) guidelines.
The equipment was first used on December 7, 2023, just three days after installation, in response to a car accident. Since then, it has been used in 33 motor vehicle incidents, almost weekly, and has proven essential in over 200 calls the department has handled. Wooten thanked the Council and the government officials for all their help in making the project possible. Mayor Paul Cagle of Fyffe also thanked those responsible for his city’s funding and explained how the money was used.
During the program, Speaker Ledbetter and Leader Livingston expressed their happiness in bringing the money to DeKalb County so residents could benefit from it. At the end of the program, Dayton Cosby presented Ledbetter and Livingston with the Legislator of the Year awards in honor of their dedication to DeKalb and Jackson County.
Courtesy of Mountain Valley News
