CASCADE COUNTY, Mont. — The Black Eagle Fire Department is looking toward the future as it works to improve its station, repair aging equipment and continue serving communities across Cascade County.
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The volunteer department recently secured a $50,000 Community Care Grant, funding Assistant Fire Chief Chris Lee says will go a long way toward helping the department repair its water trucks, which have been dealing with leaks.
“It's going to help us immensely,” Lee said.
The grant comes at an important time for the department, which operates with a limited tax-based budget that has to cover expenses throughout the year. Additional funding comes through community fundraisers and other support.
The department is also in the middle of renovating its fire station.
“The building is still a work in progress,” Lee said. “As far as funding goes with that, we're kind of just spending from funds that we get through our budgets.”
Despite its size, the Black Eagle Fire Department plays a significant role in the region's emergency response network.
The department has mutual aid agreements with every fire department in Cascade County, allowing its firefighters to respond throughout the county when needed. The department also helps provide coverage for all five hydroelectric dams in the area and can respond as far as the county line.
The department responds to roughly 200 to 300 calls each year, or about 20 calls a month.
Those calls are answered by about 20 volunteer firefighters, many of whom are balancing emergency response with full-time jobs and other responsibilities.
“You kind of have to have a sense of desire to help the community,” Lee said. “Because obviously doing it for free is a lot of work and sometimes feels like a lot, but having that special sense of desire to help and be a part of something bigger is what drives people to volunteer here.”
The department says community support has also been noticeable as it works to improve its facilities and equipment.
“The support from the community is outpouring is definitely noticeable lately,” Lee said.
The $50,000 grant will help address some of the department's equipment needs, while continued work on the station is intended to give firefighters a better place to operate and prepare for calls.
For the volunteers at Black Eagle Fire, the goal is ultimately to remain ready to respond whenever their neighbors need them.
“Just ready to get this station completely fixed and our trucks completely fixed and ready to respond,” Lee said. “And I think we'll be in a pretty good spot.”
