The Pictou Landing and Barney’s River & District Volunteer Fire Departments will each receive $2,000 as part of the second annual Seaside Wireless Communications Volunteer Firefighters Appreciation Project.
The two departments are among 16 volunteer firefighting units in northern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton whose names were selected in a random draw last week.
“Our rural communities face big challenges today,” said Seaside Wireless Communications CEO Loran Tweedie. “We’re grateful for the role volunteer firefighters play in meeting those challenges, and we are proud to recognize the outstanding work these men and women do.”
Seaside, which supplies high speed Internet to homes and businesses in rural areas of Cumberland, Colchester, Pictou, Antigonish, Guysborough, HRM, and the four counties of Cape Breton, sees support for volunteer firefighters as a ‘natural step for a rural Internet service provider.’
The fire department grants are unrestricted. Departments are free to use them for firefighting, first response, or any community need they see fit.
Six municipal units provide matching funds, so grants under the annual project can go as high as $4,000.
There are 141 rural fire departments in northern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton. Winners are selected by random draw from departments that applied to participate.
In addition to the cash donations, Seaside offers free high-speed Internet service and a free public Wi-Fi portal to any department within range of its wireless towers.
Seaside has also created an internet domain, NSFire.ca, that will provide free website hosting for fire departments anywhere in Nova Scotia, and serve as a resource for news and information about fire services in the province