Houston County is making upgrades across the board, including updating water lines, expanding the courthouse, and rolling out new public safety equipment.
HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — Houston County has tackled big things with its American Rescue Plan money.
The $1.9 trillion plan, passed by Congress in 2021, was designed to help local governments bounce back after COVID-19. But there’s a catch — the funds must be used by the end of 2026.
The county is making upgrades across the board, including updating water lines, expanding the courthouse, and rolling out new public safety equipment.
One of the biggest investments so far is the purchase of two new rescue trucks for the Houston County Fire Department.
Fire Chief Chris Stoner says his department needed those trucks to keep running efficiently.
“The cost of ownership has out-lived the truck at this point,” says Stoner.
Thanks to the American Rescue Plan funds, Houston County is now rolling out two brand-new rescue trucks.
“The only time we really have an opportunity to do something like this because the equipment is so expensive is to use this type of program through ARPA,” Stoner says.
The county spent $1.12 million in federal funds to purchase the trucks. Stoner says these upgrades are essential for keeping the department running smoothly.
“We can do things quicker because of the added equipment and technology that we’re gonna have on these new trucks compared to the older ones,” says Stoner. “We could still do the job before. Now we’re just going to be able to do it more efficiently.”
Houston County Chairman Dan Perdue says the trucks were a top priority.
“Houston County government is really focused on two things and those being public safety and infrastructure,” Perdue says.
The new rescue trucks will allow firefighters to respond to calls faster and all together, with more space for equipment. Stoner says these trucks are essential for responding to traffic accidents and house fires.
“They respond to all traffic accidents in the county, so they’ve got that specialized rescue equipment on it. All of our extrication tools. And then stabilization equipment for that vehicle rescue or heavy equipment rescue,” says Stoner.
Perdue also noted that Rescue Plan funds have been used to update water lines, expand the courthouse, and build a new health department. But the work isn’t done yet.
“I would estimate that we’ve probably got about $8 million more to spend,” Perdue says.
He said that the county has already decided which departments will receive the remaining funds, but they haven’t yet determined exactly what the money will be spent on.
