RALEIGH — Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Mike Causey announced that Engelhard Volunteer Fire Department was awarded a $29,999.62 grant through the 2017 Volunteer Fire Department Fund from the State of North Carolina.

The check will be mailed to Fire Chief Tony Spencer to be used by the department to purchase needed equipment. The equipment is purchased using matching funds and must be approved by the Department of Insurance Office of the State Fire Marshal.

“Fire and rescue organizations protect our communities large and small across North Carolina, but sometimes their budgets don’t grow with their responsibilities,” Causey said. “Our emergency service personnel should be supported with the best equipment and supplies needed to do their jobs correctly and safely.”

“I know the Engelhard Volunteer Fire Department Inc. will use this money to serve their community even better,” Causey added. “Thank you, Chief Tony Spencer, for all of your hard work and thanks to your dedicated staff.”

Engelhard Volunteer Fire Department received a total of $66,111.52 from the Volunteer Fire Department Fund in the past 29 years since the program began.

The General Assembly created the Volunteer Fire Department Fund in 1988 to help volunteer units raise money for equipment and supplies. The grant funds must be matched dollar-for-dollar for an amount approved up to $30,000, unless the department receives less than $50,000 per year from municipal and county funding, in which case the applicant shall match $1 for every $3 of grant funds up to $30,000. Since the program’s inception, the Department of Insurance has distributed $119,884,553.23 to volunteer fire departments across the state.