In steady state and dark skies, communication is key. Having the right tools to ensure messages get delivered in a timely manner is paramount to responding to, and recovering from, a disaster. Sometimes though, those tools are expensive and can be out of reach for rural first responders. With that thought in mind, Schulenburg Volunteer Fire Department (SVFD) took the lead in applying for a regional grant through the Assistant to Firefighters program through FEMA. Five of Fayette County’s volunteer departments and Fayette County EMS agreed to participate as well. Aug. 31 they got the word that the application was successful and will receive a total of $952,970 to purchase P25 compliant radios. “P25 is a set of standards and specifications which enable interoperability among digital two-way radio communications to support missions critical to public safety requirements. It’s been mandated that all first responding agencies are P25 compliant by 2025. That means new radios, which can be an expensive item for small departments. We are very pleased that our application was chosen to be funded. It means a lot to SVFD and the other departments who are also recipients,” said Jeff Proske, SVFD chief.
