Fire and EMS describe grants, ask county to match radio project costs

Dan Early, speaking for Cumberland County’s fire and EMS operations, told the board that call volume had risen about 10% year over year and outlined recent grant awards and equipment needs. "Basically, we've got 2024 statistics... and then 2025, which is basically a 10% increase in call volume," Early said, noting that growth in housing and businesses is increasing demand on first responders.

Early described several grants: a small award from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management for radio and logistics, regional association grants to replace ladders and tools, a donation from Colonial Pipeline, and a $10,000 American Heart Association award to buy AEDs and CPR equipment. He emphasized a larger vehicle-radio project: "The RSF grant we got is $50.50 grand. The total cost is 234,799 and 52¢. They're giving us 0.5 of that. The county has to match the other to make this work," Early said, explaining portable radios and digital vehicle repeaters would drastically improve on-scene communications.

Board members asked how repeaters and radios will be distributed and whether ambulances and station vehicles would be covered; Early replied that purchases would increase the number of vehicle repeaters and portable radios but that full coverage would require additional purchases. The board thanked Early for grant-seeking work and for savings from donated equipment.

The board discussed a separate allocation to give volunteer fire departments additional one-time funding elsewhere on the agenda; the radio project still requires the formal budget appropriation and matching funds to be implemented.