Supes award $26,022 to Rainbow VFD for rescue equipment

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 March 15 to award $200,000 of trust fund money for fire protection districts and volunteer fire departments, including $26,022 to the Rainbow Volunteer Fire Department for rescue equipment.

“We are continuing to support our volunteer fire departments,” said Supervisor Bill Horn. “They’re part of our system to protect

the public.”

The county has committed $200,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds each year for needs of the fire service and an additional $200,000, derived from the savings of refinancing the county’s Otay prison, into a trust fund for the capital needs of fire agencies.

Although CDBG funds are restricted to eligible neighborhoods, the trust fund awards have no such restriction. The trust fund awards can also be allocated upon execution of the proper agreements, while the CDBG process also involves submittal to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which provides funding for the programs. Since 1999 the trust fund has provided more than $2 million to fire departments.

Applications for both sources of funding are reviewed by volunteers from the county’s Task Force on Fire Protection and Emergency Medical Services, who grade the applications and make recommendations for the entire task force to approve. The task force’s recommendations then go to the supervisors for approval. The task force gave its unanimous approval to the recommendations on Feb. 18.

The equipment will be used by Rainbow firefighters during highway vehicle accidents.

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