NICHOLS – You can’t receive if you don’t ask.
Mike Mabry, chairman of the Nichols Fire Protection District board of trustees, started making his requests for funding in December.
After several attempts in seeking $500,000 from the county’s American Rescue Plan Act funds, Mabry may have gotten the final answer.
Bullitt County Judge/Executive Jerry Summers said that all of the ARPA funds had been committed.
Mabry thanked the county for its previous partnership where the fire district allowed the placement of an ambulance unit at one of its firehouses in exchange for funding to purchase a new fire truck.
However, he was seeking additional funds to purchase another pumper/rescue truck. The fire district had set aside $200,000 and was seeking $500,000 from the county.
Summers said that the county’s federal funding had been committed and the exhaustion of funds was in part due to the rising cost of all projects.
For example, water line extensions on Roe Hill Road in the Nichols district will be completed. However, the original cost had risen to $1.2 million.
Mabry said the district would continue to seek out other funds as it must replace aging equipment.
ARPA funds have been used by the county to improve its First Responder agencies, including the fire departments.
Funds for two trucks for Southeast Bullitt Fire were exchanged for the county’s possession of the old firehouse.
The county contributed $700,000 to Zoneton Fire District as it renovates and expands its Station II. In exchange, the county will have space to house an EMS unit.
In Lebanon Junction, the county used ARPA funds to build a two-bay EMS facility behind the fire department.
Bullitt Fiscal Court meets at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 7, at the courthouse.