Bay, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Aug. 25, 2025 – The Bay Fire Department is overhauling its rescue capabilities, replacing decades-old tools and adding new life-saving equipment, thanks to two grants totaling nearly $57,000.
The department received a $10,000 check from BNSF Railway and the BNSF Foundation on Aug. 22, according to a Facebook post. This was after it received a check for $46,908.21 from the Gary Sinise Foundation (GSF) back in June.
Assistant chief Carter Keith said it was exciting to receive this level of support from both organizations, calling the initial notifications of the awards an accomplishment.
“Applying for these foundational grants is difficult because both of them accept applications from a whole host of entities and organizations beyond just the first service,” he said. “Being awarded not one, but two of these foundational grants in a matter of two months is an incredible feeling.”
The money will be used to purchase new and upgraded equipment to be used for various purposes. The equipment was estimated to cost the department approximately $60,000, Keith said, but the grants cover about 95 percent of that.
Applications for the grants were both submitted in March. Keith said the timing of the grants being received was “definitely a coincidence” and couldn’t have come at a better time.
“The department had been discussing what to do with our rapidly outdated extrication equipment. Those questions were answered, and we can’t thank these two great organizations enough for their support,” he said.
The money from the BNSF grant will be used to buy some new equipment, including a set of stabilization struts, high-pressure air bars, and stabilization cribbing. Keith said the struts and cribbing will help with stabilizing any unstable vehicles crews have to work around on accident scenes, while the air bags can lift almost 30 tons.
“An average train car can weigh approximately 20 tons, and with the recent train derailment south of town, we felt the need to look into getting some equipment that could help move that amount of weight should we need to,” he said.
Receiving the GSF grant was “an absolute surprise,” according to Keith. He said he came across the grant while looking for funding opportunities for extrication tools.
“It was more of a shot in the dark and hoping for the best than anything,” he said. “After doing some research about the foundation and the projects they have awarded, I felt like our application might simply be looked over, but I was wrong.”
The money from the GSF was used to buy a full set of Holmatro extrication tools, consisting of a spreader/jaws of life, cutter, and ram with an additional battery and charger for each tool. Keith said these tools will replace their current set of extrication tools that are approximately 30 years old.
With the new tools at their disposal, Keith said this will change how the BFD operates at scenes involving entrapments, making it easier to provide better safety for its firefighters and potential victims. It will also make responses a lot faster.
“Before, if we needed stabilization struts or air bags, we would have to call for mutual aid from a neighboring department. This could add several minutes before a scene could be mitigated,” he said. “Having this equipment on hand reduces that response time, allowing our firefighters to free victims quicker and safer and getting them to definitive care faster.”
Keith said while the BFD has a small team, it will do whatever it can to go help those in need, and receiving the awards is a huge morale boost for those in the department.
“It has given them a big boost in confidence, knowing that they have the equipment they need to mitigate these rescue scenarios,” he said.
