A new fire truck is on the road in Concord, Midland and Cabarrus County, thanks to funds made available by Union Power Cooperative. In 2016, Union Power partnered with Flowes Store Volunteer Fire Department, located in Cabarrus County, to obtain funds for the purchase of a new pumper truck for the station. The truck was put into service this summer.
Union Power secured the $300,000 loan for the truck through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program. The new pumper tanker can hold 2,500 gallons of water and replaces a 1989 model with a 1,000-gallon capacity.
The new resource meets a vital need. The area the fire department serves is in such a rural location, it only has 25 percent fire hydrant coverage for the entire district of roughly 1,690 members. More than doubling the capacity of their pumper tanker goes far in overcoming that limited hydrant access.
North Carolina’s electric cooperatives lead the nation in investments through the REDLG program. Over the past five years, electric co-ops have helped North Carolina communities receive more than $50 million from the program, supporting the creation of more than 2,500 jobs.
Members of Union Power’s executive staff with Fire Chief Joey Houston in front of the new truck.