County will be conducting survey for grant application

 According to county executive Denny Wayne Robinson, White County has begun the grant application process to procure the funds to purchase new fire trucks for county departments.

The grant, in the amount of $500,000 would be used to purchase what Robinson hopes to be two new fire trucks. He went on to say the tentative plans are to replace a non-working pump truck at Eastland Fire Department with one of the new trucks.

“The second one would be a county-wide truck,” he continued, saying that the truck could be used whenever and wherever needed.

One of the requirements for the particular grant that the county has applied for is they conduct a community survey to determine the average salary and number of people in each household.

“Usually, we would go door to door so that you can see who we are, but, due to COVID restrictions, we are having to make phone calls,” Robinson said.

Robinson said as of now, Upper Cumberland Development District, in Cookeville, is making the phone calls, but he is hosting a meeting next week with the chiefs of the county volunteer fire departments to determine how they, along with Robinson’s office, can assist UCDD with the surveys.

“If you get a call from someone trying to gather information, please remember that we need your help to be able to receive this grant,” Robinson said to White County residents. “They will be asking for the number of individuals living in your house and for your income level.”

Robinson warned that at no time should anyone give out personal information such as Social Security numbers, banking information, credit card information, or passwords, and, that if asked to do so, residents should report the call to either his office or the sheriff’s office.

“I can understand being a little leery about the calls that will be coming; I would be, too,” he said. “But no one should be asking for any identifying information.”

He also said they will not be reporting who has said they make what dollar amount but rather just making a list of how many homes with a certain number of occupants make in which salary ranges.

“This is a federal grant we are applying for, so there is a list of addresses, and we have to make contact with a certain number of those households,” he said, indicating that not everyone may receive a phone call. “Please be patient with us, and thank you in advance for helping us.”