Foundation for Roanoke Valley Awards $12,830 Grant to Floyd County Volunteer Fire Department

Foundation for Roanoke Valley announced today that it has awarded a $12,830 grant to the Floyd County Volunteer Fire Department Station 3 for the purchase of a state-of-the-art Thermal Imaging Camera and a Positive Pressure Fan.  The grant comes from the Foundation’s Jacqueline S. (Jackie) and Shelborn L. (S.L.) Spangler Fund.

Chief Ricky Thompson noted: “These two pieces of equipment are going to be a great asset to our Department and will help us better serve the community of Check and the county as a whole.  The camera is a great tool for locating fire or hot spots inside a wall or ceiling, thus helping to minimize damage to the structure.”  Chief Thompson also indicated that the camera is valuable in the event of a vehicle accident at night so that responders can assess whether a victim may have been ejected and then determine the exact location of that person.  The fan will help the Fire Department in extricating the smoke in a structure fire, as well as playing a role in locating any other fire that may be present in an attic or ceiling.

Alan Ronk, the Foundation’s executive director, said in making the announcement:  “We are thrilled to be in a position to make this grant from the Spangler Fund.  The Fund, which was established in 2006 through the estate of S. L. Spangler, addresses a wide variety of important needs and opportunities in the communities along the Route 221 south corridor, generally falling between Cotton Hill Road and Check, Virginia.  This designation reflects where the Spanglers lived during the course of their lifetimes, and because of their generosity and concern for others, more than $170,000 in grants have already been awarded in these communities.”

Foundation for Roanoke Valley is the community foundation serving this region.  The Foundation has worked for more than two decades to administer and make grants from hundreds of named endowment funds on behalf of the community.  For more information, visit Foundation for Roanoke Valley’s website at www.foundationforroanokevalley.org.