A local volunteer fire department has received a fiscal booster shot to help better serve the residents of its district.

The Draytonville McKowns Mountain Wilkinsville (DMW) Volunteer Fire Department will use a $200,450 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to buy equipment and provide training and physicals for its firefighters.

The department will purchase extrication equipment to help rescue motorists who are trapped inside wrecked vehicles, a thermal imaging camera to help rescuers “see” if anyone is inside a burning building, protective turnout gear, air packs, and physicals for all 30 firefighters in the department.

It will also purchase fire hose, two computers for training and reporting, a generator and hazardous material suits, each costing approximately $800, for 10 firefighters. Those firefighters will also be trained to be hazmat (hazardous materials) technicians to improve the level of emergency responses in the fire district.

“These are things we’ve never been able to afford before. It’s basically a list of equipment that we’ve done without,” said DMW Fire Chief Rick Peterson. “It’s a 10-year shot in the arm. Actually, it will be most of the equipment that’s needed to give the people in the district the protection and services they need and deserve.”

It’s the first time the department has received a Homeland Security grant although it has applied before. A committee of eight firefighters prepared the grant application. The department must provide a 5-percent match to receive the federal funds.

Funding at DMW fire department, like most departments, is extremely tight. Each department receives $35,000 from the county. At DMW, firefighters must raise another $15,000 just to pay the department’s bills.

The department attempted to make the DMW area a tax district which would have allowed the department to collect up to 15 mills in taxes. Residents voted down the measure in November.

Of 15 departments in Cherokee County, DMW, Twin River, Asbury Rehobeth and Goucher White Plains are the only fire districts in the county that are not supported by a tax district.