Wilson, North Carolina
Monday, September 25, 2006
Wilson, NC
One of the great success stories from the FIRE Act grant program comes to us from North Carolina. Chief Don Oliver and his fire department staff in Wilson, North Carolina have a great deal of which to be proud. Thanks to a $750,000 grant from the FIRE Act, they were able to participate in the creation of a virtual-reality fire inspector training program.
According to Chief Oliver, "The Fire Act Grant is the single most effective use of money by the Federal Government in many years. The impact for the protection of American communities has been significant. The synergistic effect
created through the use of these funds is the F.I.R.E.S. Program." He continues stating that, "by leveraging the opportunity to apply for a $750,000 grant to develop the training program and to distribute 2,500 CD's to 400 fire departments in 47 states, is an example of the effective use of government funding."
Chief Oliver and his staff did not rest on their laurels. In 2004 their grant went for a department-wide video-conferencing system. Every station is equipped with a two-way video conferencing capability which allows the department to deliver training to every station at the same time. This grant allowed them to purchase the all the necessary cameras, monitors, and electronic equipment.
