Cotaco to pursue storm shelter grant
A public meeting has been scheduled for residents of the Cotaco Fire District as a first step in applying for federal funds for the construction of a storm shelter, according to John Willis, Cotaco fire chief emeritus.
“A lot of people in our community want a safe place to go the next time a tornado is spotted heading in our direction,” Willis said. “We feel like bringing folks together for the purpose of getting their input and support is a timely way to move forward and meet this need.”
The meeting will be conducted Saturday, June 18, at 9 a.m. at Cotaco’s main fire station on Alabama 36.
“Some of us have talked with representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and found there’s a federal grant program available to assist in such a project,” he pointed out. “The catch is we’d have to raise $8,000 as a local match in order to qualify.
“We’ll explain how the program works and what needs to be done to get started,” Willis added. “The main thing is we want as many people as possible who live in our fire district to be informed and have the opportunity to get involved.”
Currently, public storm shelters are provided in the Danville and Somerville fire districts.
In addition, contracts were awarded recently for the construction of a second shelter in the Danville-Neel area, one in Punkin Center and one at the 3M plant in Decatur.
Also, Priceville has a designated shelter in the basement of town hall.
