Bullock County commissioners press staff on unused rescue grant as volunteer fire staffing falls

Commissioners at a Bullock County meeting on March 1 were told a $150,000 grant intended for an OCAD building or rescue vehicle has not been spent and could be forfeited if it is not used under current program rules.

A commissioner who raised the issue also warned that many volunteer fire departments across the county are short‑staffed and sometimes cannot respond to calls. "If they're accepting those checks every month, they're agreeing to do the job," the commissioner said, urging colleagues to visit local chiefs and assess coverage.

County staff said rules and match requirements for the grant have changed since the award was made. "Those funds are gonna go back" if the county does not expend them within program deadlines, a staff member said, and recommended checking whether potential projects qualify under COVID‑era designations before committing money.

Commissioners asked staff to coordinate immediately with Ashton (county finance/staff) to determine how much COVID‑era funding remains and which projects would be eligible for those dollars. "Before we take any action, we need to get with Ashton too," a commissioner said, calling for an ASAP review of balances and qualifying criteria.

The board discussed options including pursuing smaller renovation work such as building foundations to meet grant rules, seeking contractor quotes, or using capital improvement funds for portions of the project if the grant cannot support the full cost of a new vehicle.

Next steps: staff were directed to report back quickly with the exact remaining balances, a list of candidate projects and whether those projects qualify under the original grant or COVID funding, so the commission can decide before the funds revert.