Four Triad counties are receiving grants from the Duke Energy Foundation to assist with purchasing emergency preparedness and natural-disaster response mobile units.
The largest grant is $50,000 to Rockingham County’s emergency management unit to help pay for replacing a raft for the county’s swift water rescue team.
The raft will be deployed on the Rockingham side of Belews Lake, the Dan River and other county waterways.
Stokes County Emergency Management Agency received a $25,000 grant towards the same raft acquisition to assist with rescue efforts on the Stokes side of Belews Lake and the Dan River.
Forsyth County/Winston-Salem Emergency Management received a $25,000 grant toward paying for a multi-agency, regional mobile command post trailer that can be towed by a truck or SUV.
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The trailer will be designed to assist with “ensuring situational awareness during widespread severe weather, school incidents, evacuation and hazardous spills.
Davidson County Emergency Management also won a $25,000 grant towards purchasing an off-road vehicle to respond to injured people in remote locations.
The vehicle would be operated by the Davidson Sheriff’s Department.
Altogether, the Duke Energy Foundation is providing $750,000 in grant funding statewide.
“Emergency preparedness and storm recovery begin at the local level,” said Stephen De May, Duke Energy’s North Carolina president.
“Households and businesses across our state have endured a number of significant and costly storms in recent years.
“These grants will help our communities by giving our first responders the tools and training they need to tackle whatever Mother Nature throws our way.”
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