Boothbay Harbor Rotarians donated $1,000 to buy a radio for Edgecomb’s new fire truck, which is scheduled to be delivered this spring.

Voters approved the truck in a series of meetings including one Jan. 14 that amended the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) municipal investment plan to include costs to buy and replace fire equipment. The town approved the purchase of the $247,600 truck at a special town meeting last summer.

Daren Graves, co-chairman of the Rotary’s Hometown Heroes Fund, presented the check to Fire Chief Roy Potter on Tuesday, Jan. 29 at the fire house. Graves explained that he and his wife, Debbie share the chairmen responsibilities for the local Rotary’s Hometown Heroes committee.

The fund was established in 2001 after the 9/11 attack on the U.S., Graves said. Bob and Gloria Walters suggested the fund as a way to show appreciation for local first responders. An annual banquet is held in September and other events during the year serve as fundraisers for Hometown Heroes. Events have included placing pink flamingos on lawns at area homes and businesses.

The fund is used to buy supplies that first responders need. Graves said the fund exists for any department that asks, and is used to fund something that isn’t in the first responder budget.

Previous Rotary checks have been used for bulletproof vests, pumps for fire departments and equipment for the ambulance service.

Realizing the new truck needed a digital radio, Potter sent a letter to Rotary the previous week, asking for a donation from the fund. Within the week, the Rotary committee met and authorized the contribution and Graves handed a check to the chief.

As Potter explained, “When we ordered the truck we included as much equipment as we could. Eventually there will be digital radios for the county, but we thought we’d get ahead of the game and put a digital radio in the new truck.”

The digital radio provides two-way communications across a longer distance and with a clearer signal than other radios. The department has 12-15 portable radios used for directing traffic, at fire scenes or for ambulance calls.

“Organizations like Rotary have been a huge help to our department,” Potter said. “Getting the new equipment shows commitment from the community.”