United States (Georgia) - As Jekyll Island moves forward with its plan to add more hotels and rebuild its convention center, the barrier island's fire department may be growing, too. Fire Chief Jason Richardson said he is hoping to get a larger firehouse, more staff and equipment. "That's what we are looking at now. I'm pursuing a few grants to build a new facility for more space for staff and training rooms," Richardson said.

The 50-year-old building the department calls home has become too small to meet the needs of a growing department, he said, and he's looking to federal grants and other sources to remedy the problem.

Richardson wrote applications for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program to get money for a building and equipment.

The federal program was started in 2001 to help fire departments with building construction, staffing, equipment and fire prevention. Richardson said the grant is difficult to get, but he is going for it.

The fire department is otherwise funded by the Jekyll Island Authority, which operates the state-owned island park. It typically depends on the success of the island's tourism income, he said.

"We have had to tighten our budget, solely based on the economy, but we are starting to see a turnaround with the tourist season," Richardson said.

The department answers about 600 calls annually, he said, with most of them medical calls related to a person's age or the heat.

Because a wildfire could have a devastating effect on the island, the department focuses heavily on fire prevention.

Richardson and the department reached out to others in the Jekyll community last year and worked to get a Firewise certification. Firewise is a national organization that focuses on fire safety in areas where forests and houses are close together.

On Jekyll Island, only 35 percent of the land can be developed, by state law. That means there is a lot of woodland and marsh that could burn.

The Jekyll Island Fire Department has six full-time and about 50 part-time employees. The part-time employees work at other agencies in the coastal area and help the department meet daily staffing levels.

During the summer, Richardson assigns five firefighters per shift. That number drops to four when the weather cools and fewer tourists visit. Command staff members are always at the station.

The department's fleet includes a rescue truck, three fire engines, one ambulance and a mobile Firewise classroom unit.

Written by The Brunswick News