BAY CITY -- Fire departments in Mid-Michigan are competing feverishly for $10,000 in grant money.
NBC25 talked to Bay City Fire about the contest.
For weeks Bay City Firefighters have been handing out fliers to schools, businesses, and the library in hopes of getting enough votes to win some money for new portable radios.
Bay City Firefighters respond to several calls every day in less than five minutes.
But in order to work safely they'll need to replace 14 of these portable radios.
Firefighters consider portable radios their life line, because if they were to get lost inside a burning house, it's their only way to communicate and to get out alive.
"If I can't communicate with the outside command, I really have no idea what's going on," said Bay City Fire Captain Richard Kozuch.
The radios are nearly 15 years old and once 2013 rolls around they won't even work anymore because of new federal radio regulations.
"These portables are not capable of operating on a narrow bandwidth, in technical terms these need a really little line to operate on, these operate on great big lines," said Bay City Fire Chief Greg Michalek.
That’s why firefighters are asking residents to vote for the department on-line in Liberty Mutual's Be Fire Smart grant program.
"If we can get a 1,000 people in the city to do that, then we will be successful in getting the grant," said Chief Michalek.
Last year Bay City Fire won $10,000, but this year more departments are competing for the grant money.
"Once you find out someone is giving away money, everyone is trying to get it now," said Chief Michalek.
Thanks to another grant, next week Bay City Fire will bring back the last two of the six firefighters that were laid off a year ago.
"The morale has changed drastically since we've started getting our guys back, and we were starting to get a little beat up," said Fire Captain Kozuch.
More manpower and hopefully new portable radios will help Bay City Fire run as efficiently as possible.
Right now, Bay City Fire is in 17th place in Liberty Mutual's contest, and they need to be one of the top three to win.
To vote in the Be Fire Smart grant program, go to www.befiresmart.com.
The deadline is October 31.
