Flintwood Rescue Squad given permission to apply for RSAF grant that could fund ambulance match

The Dickinson County Board of Supervisors voted to allow Clintwood (Flintwood) Rescue Squad to prepare and submit an application for the RSAF (rescue squad assistance) grant program that could fund an ambulance purchase and other EMS equipment. Clintwood representative said the grant package would include a new ambulance (vendor-estimated lead time into December), medication inventory ($3,000), Toughbook laptops ($2,160), and ESO reporting system fees ($7,200), producing a total local match requirement of roughly $121,380 if all items are awarded. The squad reported that one ambulance is currently out of service and the other had diagnostic concerns; the group said it needs two to three ambulances to meet call volume. Board members confirmed the county has funds available for match commitments from revenue set aside in the prior year and approved the squad's request to prepare the application. Supervisors also advised that the county typically expects squads to secure board agreement on match commitments before grant submission; the motion granted permission to draft and submit the application and noted the county would consider any formal match request through the usual budget or grant-match process. Staff said the proposed ambulance package would exclude one expensive mounted device to lower the match request; final grant content and match obligation would be formalized if and when the grant is awarded.