Sports Editor

The Troy City Council authorized the city’s fire department to submit its application for a special federal government firefighters grant in a special meeting on Tuesday.

The grant would be used to purchase voice alert pagers, allowing the department to contact any personnel during the day or night, automatic defibulators, air packs with extra cylinders and RIT (Rapid Intervention Team), or rescue packs.

The approximate total price for all of these items would be $36,065, but were the grant to be approved by the federal government it would pay 90 percent of the cost for the equipment. The City of Troy would be responsible for the other 10 percent.

The application period will run until March 31. The funds comes under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, which was established by the federal government in 2001.

The purpose of the program is to award one-year grants directly to fire departments of a state to enhance their abilities with respect to fire and fire-related hazards. The program seeks to identify departments that lack the basic tools and resources necessary to protect the health and safety of the public and their firefighting personnel.

Mayor Jimmy Lunsford had no recommendations to make concerning the 2001 audit.

"I was very pleased with the progress of the city last year," Lunsford said.

Lunsford and several city officials also met with representatives of the state’s Department of Transportation this week to discuss possible funding for improvements to the City of Troy’s Airport, located off of Highway 231 North.

The Troy City Council also approved the appointment of Eva Green to the Troy and Pike Cultural Arts Foundation Board.

Lunsford added there will be an auction held on April 27 so that the city may sell surplus property.

"We’ll be auctioning off cars and trucks, typewriters and things such as that," he said. "The Pike County Commission and other county organizations may also add to what we auction off."