Alamance County, NC (October 17, 2018) – The North Eastern Alamance Volunteer Fire Department (NEAVFD) received a $360,000 zero-interest loan to help pay for their new fire station. Piedmont Electric Membership Corporation is playing a supporting role in the construction of the fire station by helping NEAVFD secure $360,000 in loans from the federal government.
Providing life-saving assistance, fighting fires and protecting property are all responsibilities that rely heavily on timeliness. In order to improve response time across their 42-square mile territory, NEAVFD needed a fire station at the corner of Dailey Store Road and Highway 119 North.
“As the population in our fire district grows, so does the need for increased fire and safety service protection,” Chief Donnie West stated. “This new fire station will reduce response times in the northern section of the district by approximately 40 percent.”
The new fire station will also allow the department to extend their level 7 Insurance Service Office (ISO) rating across their entire district. This ISO rating helps determine insurance rates for homeowners in the area and the lower ISO rating will lead to a combined savings of approximately $292,000 annually for homeowners in the area. Residents in the area will need to start contacting their insurance companies starting in January of 2019 to see if the new fire station will give lower homeowners insurance rates.
The funds for the North Eastern Volunteer Fire Department’s fire station were loaned by Piedmont Electric as part of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program. The program provides zero-interest funds from the federal government to local electric cooperatives who in turn lend the money to local entities for projects that support rural areas.
“We are proud to provide this opportunity to improve the quality of life in one of the communities we serve,” said Steve Hamlin, Piedmont Electric President and CEO. “The cooperative’s structure was created to support the community. This zero-interest loan program allows us to support our communities far beyond our electric service by partnering with the USDA and helping bring in federal money.”
In the past several years, Piedmont Electric has secured more than $10 million in USDA funding within Alamance, Orange, Caswell, Durham, and Person counties for fire trucks, fire stations, ambulances, schools and a public library. As the funds are repaid they are re-loaned to assist with future projects in communities served by Piedmont Electric.
Piedmont Electric is a local, member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative serving more than 32,000 electric accounts in Alamance, Caswell, Durham, Granville, Orange and Person counties. Piedmont Electric exists to serve our members and improve the quality of life in our communities through local employment, economic development, business engagement, youth education, grants to educators, advocacy for energy issues, community involvement and emergency preparedness support. Visit www.pemc.coop for more information.
###
Photo caption: Members of the North Eastern Alamance Volunteer Fire Department, Congressman Mark Walker, Representative Stephen Ross, County Commissioner Amy Galey and representatives from Piedmont Electric gather to celebrate the closing of $360,000 in zero-interest loans to the North Eastern Alamance Volunteer Fire Department.
Attendees in photo from left to right:
Representative Stephan Ross
Steve Long – Piedmont Electric Board of Directors
Kenneth Talley – NEAVFD Board of Directors and Firefighter
Sam Woods – Piedmont Electric Board of Directors
Gene Anderson – NEAVFD Board of Directors, Firefighter and former Chief
Brandon Reed – Piedmont Electric Manager of Member Services
Charlie Wyatt – NEAVFD Board of Directors and Firefighter
Fred Jones – NEAVFD Board of Directors
Chief Donnie West – Chief of the North Eastern Alamance Volunteer Fire Department
Jim Roney Jr. – NEAVFD Board of Directors, Firefighter and former chief
Frank Aucompaugh – North Eastern Alamance Volunteer Fire Department Firefighter
Chief Bob Louis – Chief at the Mebane Fire Department
Amy Galey – Alamance County Commissioner
J. B. Brown – NEAVFD Board of Directors
Angelo Bartis – Atlantic Coast Construction owner
John Payne – Alamance County Fire Marshall
Susan Cashion – Vice President, Chief Compliance and Administrative Officer at Piedmont Electric
David Wyatt – Commercial Relationship Manager/Assistant Vice President at American National Bank and Trust
Congressman Mark Walker
Steve Hamlin – President and CEO at Piedmont Electric
Photo caption: Chief Donnie West shares both the history and the future of the North Eastern Alamance Volunteer Fire Department at the loan closing ceremony on Wednesday, Oct. 17.
Photo caption: Piedmont Electric Board of Director Steve Long and NEAVFD Board of Director and Firefighter Kenneth Talley discuss the new fire station.