Swan Quarter Volunteer Fire Department takes possession of new brush truck

Published 5:25 am Sunday, November 7, 2021

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On October 26, several members of the Swan Quarter Volunteer Fire Department (SQVFD) traveled to Blounts Creek to take possession of a brush truck that they purchased from the Blounts Creek Volunteer Fire Department (BCVFD).

This past July, the SQVFD broke ground on a new substation in the Lake Comfort area of Hyde County. With construction soon to begin, they have been upgrading their vehicle fleet to include trucks that will be dedicated to the new station. The truck, a Ford F-350 Super Duty, had been purchased new by the BCVFD in 2003. They recently upgraded to a current-year model and agreed to sell the old one to the SQVFD.

The purchase of the truck was made possible by a grant from the USDA, which is also providing funding for the Lake Comfort substation under their Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant program.

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“We appreciate the patience Blounts Creek Fire Chief David Williams showed while we worked out specifics and timelines with our funding source,” SQVFD Chief Jeffrey Stotesberry said.

“The fact that this truck also has the ability to tow our department’s water-rescue boat and ag-rescue trailers will be a big plus for us and we look forward to many years of good service from it because they have taken good care of it over the years,” he elaborated.

When asked about the status of the new substation, Stotesberry indicated that the construction contract has been awarded to the Washington firm of Stocks & Taylor.

“A pre-construction meeting with all relevant parties will take place on November 17 and the Notice to Proceed should be issued shortly thereafter. We are anxious to see the clearing of the land and other work begin and to know that this project that the community is looking forward to is actually underway,” he added.

A 5,086 square-foot fire station will be built on a 1.07 acre site at 149 NC 45 in an area known as Lake Comfort. The land for the substation site was donated to the SQVFD by the Earl Pugh Jr. family.

Once the new building is complete and has been certified and rated by the North Carolina Office of the State Fire Marshal, both home and business owners in the area will experience a reduction in their property insurance.

Approximately 200 homes with 400 occupants and 22 businesses in the Lake Comfort area will also benefit from a reduction in response time should they experience a fire or other emergency. This area includes the Mattamuskeet School Campus, Mattamuskeet National Wildlife offices and housing, as well as three churches.

– Submitted by SQVFD

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