U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman in July announced that $100 million is committed for the First Responder Initiative to support rural emergency responder projects. As part of the USDA's initiative, a minimum of $1 of every $5 of fiscal year 2004 community facility funding will be dedicated to first responder type requests.

Grants and low-interest loans are available under three funding programs to support the building of facilities and equipment in rural areas: The Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan Program, the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program and the Community Facilities Grant Program.

The grant program assists in funding the development of essential community facilities in rural areas and towns of up to 20,000 in population. Grants are authorized on a graduated scale. Applicants in small communities with low populations and low incomes receive a higher percentage of the grants.

Projects to fund fire protection equipment, fire stations, fire trucks, rescue and ambulance services and equipment, emergency response training, physicians clinics, early storm-warning systems, education facilities for emergency services, police stations and cars, communications centers, and mobile communications centers are eligible.

As of July, nearly $81 million of the 2004 funding had been obligated to fund 20 fire stations, 24 fire trucks, eight police cars, and other fire and rescue equipment, including $140,000 for a fire truck for Watauga (N.C.) Fire-Rescue and $50,000 for an ambulance in Orleans County, Vt. According to the USDA, more than 100 first responder applications had been approved for funding.

More information is available at a local USDA Rural Development office and on the Web at www.rurdev.usda.gov.