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BENNINGTON COUNTY, Vt. (Community News Service) – It hasn’t been easy to find, but for Bennington County agencies involved with search and rescue, there’s aid money for the taking.
For any search and rescue work in the Green Mountain National Forest since Oct. 1, 2012, public entities in the county can access over $160,000 in federal reimbursements. The funds, which come directly from the Office of the State Treasurer via application, stem from the federal Secure Rural Schools Act and can be used for various “expenses related to search and rescue equipment, training and supplies,” according to an Aug. 26 press release from the office.
In an interview, State Treasurer Mike Pieciak stressed the importance of having money accessible for the county’s emergency services.
“A lot of our municipalities, a lot of our fire departments and first responders have tight budgets, and knowing that these funds are there to support their work and help their service to the community, I think, is really important,” he said.
That money, however, has not flown out of the treasurer’s office over the years like freshly baked cookies. To Pieciak’s knowledge, his office hasn’t ever received any reimbursement applications. This, he said, has resulted in the $10,000 to $30,000 annually allotted to the treasurer’s office culminating in the current stockpile.
Pieciak attributes the lack of applications to municipalities and agencies not knowing the funds exist for them.
The Manchester Fire Department fell into that category, said Jamie Greene, first assistant chief. Greene said his department didn’t know about the reimbursement money for national forest search and rescue work until receiving an email about it this year.
Although the Manchester department only averages a handful of search and rescue calls for lost or injured hikers in the national forest a year, Greene said his crew gets lots of hiking calls off federal land and, regardless of location, they’re no walk in the park.
“It takes a lot of equipment and a lot of manpower to actively go and do these rescues, whether it’s a search and rescue to follow, whether we do find anybody, whether we have to pull someone out — it’s very time-consuming and very hard on all my guys,” he said.
Pieciak said he recognizes agencies weren’t aware of the opportunity, and this year his office is making a more concerted effort to spread the word. Officials are reaching out to Bennington County communities and state and local media to connect with anyone involved with first response, he said.
Greene, for one, appreciates having the option for reimbursement, especially at a time when search and rescue calls are trending up across the state.
“It’s definitely a big asset to have that money available with the influx and increase of search and rescues,” he said.
In contrast, Shaftsbury Fire Department Chief Joe Vadakin, although not dismissive of the funds, said the inconsistency of search and rescue calls his department fields and the price of equipment make it unlikely his crew would apply for funding.
“The money is so small that to actually purchase new equipment, a truck or a search and rescue vehicle probably wouldn’t be something that we apply for,” he said, “only because it would take up just about all of it, and they’re not going to give just Shaftsbury the money, I would assume.”
Pieciak said he may have a solution for groups in that situation. The state treasurer’s office has a loan fund to help municipalities with larger equipment purchases. The loans come with a cap of $175,000 at a 2% interest rate for single municipalities and no interest for two or more municipalities buying equipment jointly, Pieciak said.
Regardless of the program, Pieciak wants first responders to know there are methods for them to get the help they need.
“We want to make sure they are aware of it, that they can either get reimbursed for costs that they’ve incurred or maybe even purchase equipment that will help them do their job in a way that helps keep the community safe,” the state treasurer said.