Putnam Fire Department To Apply For Expansion Grant

The Putnam County Fire Department will be applying for a grant that would fund part of the salary for three new firefighters in Monterey.

Chief Tom Brown said he’s been wanting to hire some firefighters in Monterey for the past few years.

“We are just low on volunteers in the Monterey area, so any response up there is a challenge,” Brown said. “I find the Cookeville truck going there way more than they need to for insignificant calls. I think it will be a great benefit for the citizens.”

County Executive Randy porter said the grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency would fund 75-percent of the salary for three full-time firefighters for the first two years. The third year the grant would pay 25-percent. After that, the county would consume the full responsibility.

Last year, the county budget did not include a request for three full time county firefighters. Chief Tom Brown said he requested the three positions in last year’s budget to add more manpower at station-21 in Monterey.

“Response times in the east end of the county average 12.5 minutes and can be as long as 25 minutes,” Brown said during a county commission meeting last year. “With full-time personnel in the station an apparatus will respond in 90 seconds, which will greatly reduce the response times. This area is currently our problem child with volunteers.”

Sometime between July and September the department will find out if it receives the grant.

The county commission gave approval Monday for the fire department to apply for the grant.