Worthing Community Fire Department awarded $61,169 from FEMA Grant

Worthing, SD — The Worthing Community Fire Department (WCFD) received $61,169 from the 24FY FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant. This funding will be utilized to update fire hoses. The grant allows the WCFD to update every fire hose on every fire truck. 

“People don’t realize how expensive it is to buy even just one section of hose. We are a rural department, and this is a cost that we could not have afforded outright” Assistant Fire Chief, Jeremy Jacobson stated. 

The WCFD is a 100% volunteer-based department that draws funding from a housing count within their jurisdictional area in addition to donations, and grant funds. 

The WCFD’s current inventory of fire hoses consists of 6,850 feet of fire hose of varying diameters. Various hose diameters are vital in firefighting operations. A large diameter hose (LDH) is 5 inches in diameter and allows firetrucks to fill significantly faster than a 2.5-inch diameter hose. Similarly, firefighters will utilize a combination of different diameter hoses on any given fire. Any combination of 1.5, 2, and 2.5-inch diameter hoses may be used to extinguish a fire.  In this total, they had fire hoses dated from the 1990s or prior and 75% without a date altogether, which draws questions regarding their age and reliability. 

“Some of the fire hose that we replaced was on (the fire department) before me,” stated training officer Nicolas Weisenbach, who has served 20 years for the WCFD. 

According to National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) suggestions starting in 1954, fire hoses should be replaced every ten to twenty-five years depending on the manufacturer. 

“The fact that we were able to replace all of our fire hose at one time is a very big deal,” expressed Fire Chief Justin Appel. 

The WCFD is currently one of four South Dakota Fire Departments that have been awarded an Assistance to Firefighters Grant through FEMA for FY24. 

The Worthing Community Fire Department is thankful to FEMA and the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.