Local fire company representatives pleaded with the Worcester County Commissioners this week for funding support from the CARES Act.
The commissioners said at a special meeting Wednesday that county staff would meet later this week to go over each fire company’s CARES request. The commitment to reviewing grant applications comes as the county’s deadline to spend its $4.5 million in CARES funding nears and fire companies’ requests have yet to be answered.
“What we seem to forget, especially at the highest level, is we’re in a pandemic,” Ocean City Fire Chief Richie Bowers said, adding that local fire companies needed financial support. “We are on the front lines.”
Wednesday’s special meeting, held at the Snow Hill Volunteer Fire Company, kicked off with Commissioner Joe Mitrecic’s assurances that county officials wanted to provide fire companies with funding from the CARES Act.
“We want to give you the money. That’s what it comes down to,” Mitrecic said. “You have to fill out the proper paperwork and you have to substantiate what you need money for.”
Mitrecic said the commissioners agreed to set aside $80,000 — $50,000 in payroll and the $30,000 CARES balance — for fire companies at their last meeting.
“So there’s $80,000 left of $4.5 million for fire companies?” asked Steve Grunewald, fire chief at the Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department.
Mitrecic said there was other money that hadn’t been spent yet.
“There could be more than that,” he said.
Tim Jerscheid of Stockton’s fire company said he’d emailed county administration regarding CARES Act funding as early as May. He said it was frustrating that fire companies had yet to have their requests granted when officials were talking about how the funding had already been spent — or had been proposed to be spent — in other sectors.
“The riverboat thing threw everybody for a loop — which was not your guys’ fault but was a misunderstanding — but when you start seeing stuff in the newspaper or the press it’s hard…,” said Jerscheid, who serves as president of the county Fire Chiefs Association. “You understand where my level of frustration is.”
Commissioner Jim Bunting said he was equally frustrated.
You can forget anymore help. I like how they say, you guys need to get your request in. That’ll do alot. Like you didn’t right? Or the patronizing, I’m frustrated too bullshit. Lip service at it’s finest. Work more with less seems to be how it always goes. I tell you what, that out of the blue riverboat as they say, would be a nice place for you firemen to go relax and reflect when you get frustrated that you don’t have the money to do your jobs. Be safe.
“David Fitzgerald, president of the Berlin Fire Company, said the county was facing a critical deadline, as the county only had until Dec. 15 to book its CARES funds.”
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! This clown screwed up the Berlin Fire Company and now he is screwing up Wicomico County. Joe Mitrecic should have laughed at this non-relevant idiot and told him to sit down!