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The arrival of new gear at a fire house is always a blessing but especially when it is part of a grant that allows the fire departent to invest in the best grade of equipment, thereby assuring a higher level of safety to the fire fighters. At Dewey Fire Department, they "reaped" the rewards of a REAP grant to make sure every fire fighter has the same equipment and therefore, the same level of safety when responding to a dispatch call.

When Chief Justin Miller took his job in Dewey he made a vow to make sure that all of his employees could count on their gear being modern, effective, and replaced before it wore out. To that end, Miller spent time doing careful research into industry standards and then looking for equipment that was beyond those standards. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requires fire equipment to be replaced every ten years so when that replacement time hit, Miller took advantage of the opportunity to fully replace existing equipment; the equipment he found as through a copany known as NAFECO. In its website, NAFECO claims to offer top brands but with top brands, come top prices. To offset the costs, Miller found a REAP grant and presented his equipment findings and request for the funds to the Dewey City Council.

and to pay for the expense, he sought and found the REAP grant.

In February of this year, the Dewey City Counil showed their support of Chief Miller's choice of equipment by allocating $50,000 from the city's general fund to help the fire department purchase the equipment while the REAP fund was being considered. After the REAP funds were received, Miller was able to oversee the purchase of a helmet, turnout gear, gloves and boots for every fire fighter currently working in Dewey's fire department.

The equipment arrived earlier this month. The volunteers of the Dewey Fire Department have always acted professional but now their appearance fully matches their attitude.