Duke Energy awards $500K to first responders

CHEROKEE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – Duke Energy awarded $500,000 in grants to first responders across South Carolina.

For three years Duke Energy has been helping small organizations boost their emergency preparedness.

“Some of the smaller organizations across the state may not have access to funding for some of the things, tools and training they need to respond to mother nature. So, we wanted to do our part to provide that funding,” Ryan Mosier with Duke Energy said.

Duke Energy said fire departments, law enforcement and cities could request up to $20,000 to help fill the gaps.

“Communications tools, think radios and specific types of radios that help law enforcement, first responders, emergency management officials after a storm has come through,” Mosier added. “We also see support for training first responders, that they may not otherwise be able to access, so there are a lot of different things that a department or organization is in need of.”

Cherokee County Emergency Management was one of the 33 recipients this year. Director Doug Bowers said the grant will help boost their shelter capabilities.

“We want to double our capabilities, so what we applied for was 100 regular cots, 10 special needs cots, the amenities to go with these, blankets, pillows,” Bowers said.

By doing this Bowers said the county could become more self sufficient during a natural disaster.

“The risk of a tornado touching down, winter weather, with I-85 you got thousands of people that travel 85, if they get stranded, any kind of a severe event,” Bowers said. “If we have to put them up in a shelter sometimes we can call on Red Cross to take care of that for us but this would give us the capability, with what we already have on hand to be able to take 200 people. To put them up and us not have to worry about outside resources.”

Duke Energy said over the past three years there have been 99 grant recipients with a total of $1.5 million donated.

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