North Carolina’s insurance commissioner wants to improve the financial well-being of the state's rural fire departments. He's personally delivering checks to them, some right in the western mountains. The money is especially needed because of the pandemic. It's available with the help of the state's largest health insurance company.
North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey handed a check for five thousand dollars to the Graham County Volunteer Fire Department Tuesday afternoon.
“They struggle to recruit volunteers and to retain volunteers, and they really need funding,” he says.
Causey partnered with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina for 500 thousand dollars in grant money to specifically help 100 rural fire departments, ones that don't get much funding from government, often relying on fundraisers.