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Grant funding is secured for EMS building Melodie Phelps News Editor Wayne County has secured grant funding for a new building for EMS, according to an announcement made last week in Frankfort. The project was awarded a $250,000 Community Economic Growth Grant (CEGG), according to Governor Ernie Fletcher's Office. It was one of 57 community grants awarded across Kentucky, according to the announcement. A total of $10 million in CEGG funds were available through the program. Wayne County Judge-Executive Bruce Ramsey was pleased with the news, noting this will allow the county to proceed with plans to build a new building for the ambulance service. "We would love to build an EMS building between the Health Department and the Detention Center," said Ramsey. The property, located on Bypass 90, is already county-owned. It's also the location that officials have been eying as they planned for this project and grant application. Currently, Wayne County EMS is located in a leased building on Main Street, but officials feel the ideal situation would be to operate from a county-owned facility. "We've been working on this ever since we went into the ambulance business," said Ramsey. "This should get it going," he added. Local officials applied for more than $250,000, with plans to construct a 6,958 square foot pre-engineered metal building in addition to a 1,000 square foot basement to serve as the EMS building. According to the plans included in the application, the building would have four double bay doors, a crew lounge, a kitchen, bunk spaces, a dispatch area and equipment storage areas. A classroom, basement, office space and decontamination room would also be part of the project. "Exemplary emergency medical services are essential to an area's high quality of life," said Senate President David L. Williams. "These grant dollars will help Wayne County build a first-class EMS building." Representative Ken Upchurch stated that the rented building currently serving as the county's EMS building is over 60 years old and in need of repairs. "I'm glad to see our EMS folks will have the facility they deserve to provide the service they do to our community," said Upchurch. "Their current building does not meet their needs, as it has only one bay door. For this reason, some emergency vehicles are parked outdoors which endangers temperature-sensitive medications and fluids. The current situation hampers response time in emergency situations." CEGG is administered by the Governor's Office for Local Development through the Kentucky Community Development Office (KCDO). The program's aim is to provide flexible funding to support and encourage the economic growth and viability of communities within the state. Counties, cities, special districts and school districts were eligible to apply for this year's funding. Monies could be utilized for construction, acquisition of property, equipment purchase, industrial site development, infrastructure and capital improvement projects. "The grant fund is an excellent opportunity for all Kentucky's counties to maximize economic gain locally and creatively," said Governor Ernie Fletcher. "The infusion of these funds will result in over $99 million in successful projects across the Commonwealth." Add a comment |
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