(LANDER) – At the Fremont County Commissioners meeting Tuesday, January 12th, 2021, the Riverton Fire District Business Manager, Jeff Kehl requested a letter of support from Commissioner Travis Becker.
The letter of support which was seconded by the other commission members as well will look to support and aid the Riverton Fire Protection District in the event of obtaining two new fire engines for their stations.
According to Jeff, the fire department is hoping to get a grant in this instance. The fire department itself also has additional funds as well accumulated over the past 20 years that can be used to assist in the process. The excitement is a bit premature however as this still has to go through secondary review with the necessary government entities such as the State Loan Investment Board (SLIB) which mostly handles grants.
The two new engines will replace two older fire engines from 1996 and 97’ that the department is looking to upgrade. The older engines both serve in and around the Riverton area with one engine specific to city limits and the other specific to outside Riverton city limits, and pending the grant may possibly be finding a new home in the near future .
“We are asking for a grant for the engines, nothing with taxes or benefits,” said Kehl.
“The two older engines will be sold off to any fire department in the State of Wyoming that may be needing engines, at a significantly reduced price of course.”
If all is approved the Riverton Fire Protection District can expect the new fire engines to arrive sometime this summer. The aging engines then can be sold to a smaller department in need of a truck. Those engines will go to the department most in need of engines which can be sold to the countless smaller community stations that dot the landscape of Big Wyoming.
“We are still in the early stages of this and have not put them on the market as yet, but hope to soon,” said Kehl.