State money aids rescue unit

Will Futrell, Daily Herald Staff writer

ROANOKE RAPIDS - The Roanoke Valley Rescue Squad has received a $25,000 grant to help it purchase much-needed equipment.

The money, a state matching funds grant, was presented to Rescue Squad Chief Marshall Collier Tuesday by Bill Bradbury from the North Carolina Insurance Commissioner's Office.

“The money mainly came from insurance industries,” said Bradbury. Collier said the new equipment will greatly improve the unit's ability to respond to emergencies.

Through the grant, the Rescue Squad was able to upgrade from a 1975 rescue boat to a new, state-of-the-art model. “Every year gets harder and harder,” he said, discussing the financial struggles that are common with rural departments such as this.

The Roanoke Valley Rescue Squad has not only been lucky enough to get the grant, but also other donations from various groups, Halifax County and the city of Roanoke Rapids.

The Roanoke Valley Rescue Squad, serving an average of 14,000 citizens annually, has received a total of $112,195 from the state of North Carolina.

The North Carolina Department of Insurance has distributed a total of $79,259,900 in grant money to fire and rescue departments across the state, $583,832 of it in Halifax County.