Smithville Fire Awarded Firehouse Subs Safety Grant

The Smithville Fire Department has been awarded a Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation grant.

Fire Chief Charlie Parker said the nearly $25,000 grant will fund a Polaris Ranger Utility All-Terrain vehicle.

“It is a four-wheel-drive for off-road, but it is also got a compressed air foam unit in the back end of it,” Parker said. “So this vehicle can be used off-road through wildland fires or just getting anywhere we can’t get to with our regular fire apparatus.”

Parker said the vehicle will also assist during citywide events, like the Fiddler’s Jamboree.

Parker said the department attempted to apply for the grant last year but didn’t meet the deadline.

“So we had worked on it this year, and like I said, worked on the grant to them. So this is actually the first time we have officially applied to them,” Parker said. “And we were successful this time, so we are very excited about that.”

Parker said the fully-funded grant allows the department to better serve the community.

“We would still like to thank Firehouse Subs and their Public Safety Foundation. We had heard about that before,” Parker said. “They have been very giving in giving back to their community and are very community service-oriented.”

The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation has granted over $1.9 million dollars in Tennessee since 2005.