Molalla Fire Department received news last Friday that they will be the recipients of two U.S. Department of Homeland Security grants to provide training for volunteers and radio communications equipment.
The communications grant provides $153,000 — enough to purchase 34 handheld radios along with spare batteries, lapel microphones and chargers, Lt. Mike Penunuri said. MFD’s current radios are hand-me-downs from Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue.
“We got a service letter last week from Motorola saying that as of June of this year, our radios would no longer be serviceable,” Penunuri said. “So, these radios will be replacing our existing radios.”
The second grant provides $23,136 and will allow MFD to offer an EMT-Basic training course to at least 27 local students, Penunuri said.
“The EMT grant is a regional grant; we’re the hosting agency,” Lt. Mike Penunuri said. “It will involve training people not only from Molalla, but Canby, Colton and Monitor as well.”
MFD used to offer EMT classes in Molalla, but hasn’t hosted them in five or 10 years and volunteers have been commuting to community college classes to receive their EMT training, Penunuri said.
“With the economy the way it is, a lot of people can’t afford to go into Clackamas to take a class and dedicate two nights a week and Saturdays,” Penunuri said.
Offering the class locally will make it more convenient and accessible for volunteers, providing more locals with the opportunity to become EMTs, he said.
“The more EMTs that we have out there, the more value it is to the community,” Penunuri said.
The class is scheduled to run Mondays, Wednesdays and some Saturdays in September, October, November and the first part of December.
Both grants provide 90 percent of the funding, requiring MFD to cover the remaining 10 percent.
MFD staff applied for the two grants last May, Penunuri said. They are still waiting to hear whether or not they will be approved for a grant to purchase a new water tender for the district.