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Vernon council authorizes application for FEMA fire prevention grant to buy indoor training prop
Summary
Council authorized the mayor to apply for a FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety grant to purchase an electronic fire-extinguisher training prop costing about $27,000 with a town match of $1,285.78.
The Vernon Town Council authorized Mayor Daniel A. Champagne or his designee on July 15, 2025 to apply for FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety grant funds totaling $27,001.23 and to execute related documents if awarded. The town’s match for the project is $1,285.78.
Fire Department staff described the device as an electronic extinguisher training prop that can be used indoors year-round and is portable for events such as National Night Out. A department representative told the council the current propane-fired prop used for training was obtained about 15 years ago and that more than 200 town employees had recently completed extinguisher training. The representative said the new prop would allow the department to “train residents as well as local businesses and their employees” and noted that fire extinguishers are effective “97% of the time they are used on small fires.”
Councilor Laura Bush asked whether the FEMA grant is competitive; the department representative replied, “It is a competitive grant. It's a national grant, through FEMA. The grants for fire prevention are a little less competitive than for staffing and equipment.”
Councilors voted unanimously to approve the application and matching commitment. The motion authorizing the mayor or his designee to execute documents was moved and seconded on the floor and recorded as unanimous.
