Union Power Funds VFD Pumper Truck

Fire Chief Joey Houston (right) alongside Union Power Executive staff and members of the Flowes Store Fire Department.

A new fire truck is on the road in Cabarrus County, thanks to funds made available by Union Power Cooperative. In 2016, Union Power partnered with Flowes Store Volunteer Fire Department to obtain funds for the purchase of a new pumper truck for the station. The truck was put into service this summer.

Union Power secured the $300,000 loan for the truck through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program. The new pumper tanker can hold 2,500 gallons of water and replaces a 1989 model with a 1,000-gallon capacity.

“It was a great opportunity for Union Power Cooperative to be able to provide assistance to the fire department to obtain a much-needed resource to serve the community,” said Union Power Executive Vice President and General Manager Greg Andress. “Given the rural nature of the fire district they serve, there is limited fire hydrant coverage. By more than doubling their pumper tanker capacity, the fire department should be well positioned to serve their members.”

North Carolina’s electric cooperatives lead the nation in investments through the REDLG program. Over the past five years, electric co-ops have helped North Carolina communities receive more than $50 million from the program, supporting the creation of more than 2,500 jobs.