CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — On Tuesday, the Corpus Christi Fire Department will present a proposal to city council to apply for a Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation Grant.
The grant funding will provide $22,745.74 for five replacement and one additional emergency medical services patrol bikes and one replacement rescue boat to support the department.
The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation was established in 2005. The Foundation’s purpose is to provide fire departments and their communities with funding to be used for lifesaving equipment, prevention education, scholarships and continued education, and disaster relief.
The Foundation’s grants are eligible for public safety and non-profit organizations.
“This grant is really going to help us repair and replace some of these units that we have here within some of our stations and other stations throughout the city of Corpus Christi," Fire Station 1 Captain David Zarate said.
CCFD said some of their equipment is more than ten years old and is in need of replacing in order to better serve the community.
The medical service patrol bikes are typically used for big events around the city like Buc Days, parades, festivals and concerts. The rescue boat is also used for water emergencies, so first responders can get to locations faster.
“In the past three years, we’ve had multiple saves within our marina, Nueces County River, all these different areas, that these boats have really come into to help our community. But that’s why we prepare and plan for these particular situations, so we know what to expect, right,” Zarate said.
The equipment is not the only thing the fire department is looking to improve on. The department said they're hoping to repair and redevelop several stations — some of which have been around been around for more than fifty years.
The department said they want city council to know the importance of not only receiving new equipment, it's a way for them to show their constant efforts to be more efficient.
If the city council gives the fire department the green light to submit the grant proposal, the waiting game begins. There's no timeline on when the fire department will find out if the grant request is approved.
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