WELD – The town’s Volunteer Fire Department has been awarded a federal grant of $54,149 to buy equipment.

Department Capt. Kris Simanek said she was “extremely excited” about the department’s getting the grant.

“We’re calling it the renewal project for the department,” Simanek said.

Four firefighters took Firefighting I classes and realized that the department was lacking in personal-protection, forestry and fitness-and-wellness equipment, she said.

The town would need to raise a matching share of $6,016 to get the federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program funds provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The grant would enable the department to buy 10 sets of turnout gear – jacket, helmet, pants, gloves and boots – and 16 sets of forest fire turnout gear, she said.

A large chunk of the money, Simanek said, is for forestry gear, including shovels, rakes, axes, forestry water pump and portable backpack water pumps.

The department would also be able to get 10 new pagers and four new radios, and there is some money to buy some wellness and fitness cardiovascular exercise equipment for the station to help firefighters keep in shape.

Along with the personal protection equipment and turnout gear, the grant contains money for self-contained breathing apparatus tanks and spare bottles, she said.