A $725,272 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was officially accepted by a vote of the Henry County Board of Commissioners at its Sept. 1 regular meeting.
Funds from this grant will be used by the Henry County Fire Department to purchase a direct source exhaust capturing system that aids in the elimination of diesel engine emission from the inside of the county’s 16 fire stations. As stated in the resolution, the exhaust systems will help prevent occupation cancer as well as control exposure that aggravates chronic lung diseases like asthma and COPD.
County officials confirmed that this action will update all the fire department’s current stations and benefit the health and safety of Henry County firefighters. The vote to approve was unanimous.