Crystal Lake Fire Department Receives Grant

The recently received a FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program grant that paid for new hoses and appliances for the trucks.

The department went in with Tolland, Willington, and Union on the grant. The total grant funds were $148,000 for the four towns.

“We all purchased five-inch hose – right now we’re all carrying four-inch hose – so we went with a larger diameter hose,” Chief Chuck Pippin said. “We applied for the large diameter hose and appliances (what connects the hose to the truck) with the other three towns so that this way, we could all be equal with the same type of hose that we’ll all be using.”

Other area towns, such as and Mansfield, as well as the , already have the five-inch hose.

Applying together helped all four towns get something they needed.

“We went in with the other three departments so it kinda helped out the other departments too,” Pippin said. “We kinda split it up on what we already knew we were running on the trucks for hose. Because with larger hose, probably less is going in the hose-beds.”

The hose that Crystal Lake is replacing is over 20 years old, and also puts out less water than the bigger five-inch hose. Some of the current hose connectors don’t function properly and some hose was lost when it failed testing. This grant greatly helps out.

“We’re getting all brand new hose,” Pippin said. “We were very fortunate to get this.”

The cost for the hoses and appliances would have been approximately $48,000, but only $800 had to be paid.

“It really saved our town money,” Pippin said.

The hose that the department received will take care of all three trucks that need to have hose put on them.

This is the second FEMA grant that the department has received. It also received one in 2005 which covered the cost of fire gear.