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Greene County Volunteer Firemen’s Association asks Legislature for $10,000 annual funding for scholarships, fire assistance and youth prevention
Summary
The association asked the Greene County Legislature on June 4 for $10,000 per year to support a fire assistance fund, scholarship awards and a fire‑prevention program at the county youth fair; legislators suggested adding the item to the budget cycle for consideration rather than taking immediate action.
The president of the Greene County Volunteer Firemen’s Association outlined a request on June 4 for the county to provide $10,000 annually to support three specific programs: a fire assistance fund that gives immediate cash payments to households displaced by structure fires; a scholarship program for high‑school and community‑college students active in fire/EMS organizations; and a fire‑prevention program delivered at the county youth fair, which the association said distributes smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and safety education.
Ryan Schrader, president of the Greene County Volunteer Firemen’s Association, told legislators the association has existed for nearly 137 years and described how funds are currently raised and spent. He said the fire assistance fund has delivered emergency checks (the association reported 10 checks totaling $3,000 since September), the scholarship program has awarded more than 200 grants since its start in 1999 and that costs to stage the youth fair prevention program recently approached $5,000.
‘‘What I’m asking as the president is from the legislators here in the county, is for $10,000 a year to be turned over to the Greene County Volunteer Firemen’s Association in order to fund these three specific items,’’ Schrader said.
A legislator said they would place the request into the county’s 2025–26 budget as a potential line item rather than adopt an immediate resolution; the transcript records an initial motion offered by a legislator to create a resolution for a yearly $10,000 appropriation, but the committee discussion quickly turned to treating the request as a proposed budget line and to the fall budget process. The association’s representatives stressed the funds would be directed to the three programs and not to internal convention or social activities.
Legislators indicated they were supportive in principle and suggested budget staff and the association work together on language for a line item or resolution to be considered during formal budget adoption.
