The Crookston Firefighter’s Association on Wednesday held an appreciation event for the organizations, and entities that donated to their new fire engine. In total township fees paid for 27 percent of the engine, 22 percent came from a 10-year zero interest loan from the City of Crookston, and 51 percent was paid through donations and grants said firefighter Tom Feiro. “It was a very unique and historical purchase of this truck,” said Feiro. “In the past we would always get a loan and put a little money down if we had it available. We applied for a grant initially, a fairly large grant. While we were waiting for that, the members of the association started realizing we could check with company or this association/organization and maybe they have a grant or donation program. A number of the members applied for a lot of these. We were turned down on a number but overall 10 different entities donated approximately 51 percent of the purchase of this truck through grants, donation programs, and organizations that they teamed with to provide matching funds. It was very unique by us.”
The 13 townships and the City of Crookston that the association has contracts with also played an important role said Feiro. “Twenty-two percent of it was covered by a 10-year no interest loan we got from the city toward this purchase,” said Feiro. “Also, 27 percent came from the contract fees we get every year from our 13 townships and the City of Crookston. We always put a certain percentage of money aside in an investment account for truck purchases so 27 percent of this truck came from those types of funds.”
Feiro said the truck is safer, and can fight fires longer before the tanker arrives. “It has a larger cab, more spacious for firefighters to sit in and get gear on,” said Feiro. “It’s a low-riding truck, they’ve found to be safer in traffic accidents. We also added 250 gallons more in the tank because it’s a rural truck. It gives us a little more time to get water on a fire in an emergency and get other resources there.”
The appreciation was held at the North Fire Station, an unmanned station owned by the firefighter’s association. “In 2016, the firefighter’s association purchased this building which was a former auto glass specialist building,” said Feiro. “And it had sat pretty much vacant for 10 years after the glass company folded. There were many different businesses and individuals that looked at the building, tried to come up with a way to utilize it, and it never seemed to work out. We were asked to take a look at it and the moment we walked in we realized this could be a fire station. We had to do very little to it and it provided a north fire station in the community of Crookston that helps us get resources quicker to different parts of the community along with the full-time fire staff that take off from the main hall. And we found that depending upon the time of day and the right situation that we could have a fire truck going from the north station a little faster to nine out the 14 townships we cover.”
TOWNSHIPS SERVED
Andover
Belgium
Crookston
Euclid
Fairfax
Gentilly
Hammond
Kertsonville
Lowell
Parnell
Roome
Russia
Part of Onstead
DONATIONS/GRANTS
Enbridge
Walmart
Otter Tail Power Company
Burlington Northern Santa Fe
Otto Bremer Trust
Facebook
CFA Gaming
Nielsville Fire Department (purchased Engine being replaced)
State Farm
CHS
American Crystal Sugar
COBANK (Matched several donations)
Crookston Valley Co-op
MDU-Grant Plains Natural Gas
