Federal grant to benefit Citrus County Fire Rescue

INVERNESS, Fla. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency is awarding Citrus County funds to benefit its firefighting operations. 

Citrus County Fire Rescue has been awarded a federal grant of $238,930. With a required 10 percent local match, the total project value is $262,823.58. The grant will allow for upgrades across the agency’s 10 fire stations. 

The grant will allow Citrus County Fire Rescue to replace all outdated 3-inch fire hoses and upgrade all 4-inch hoses to a 5-inch supply hose.

The upgrade will have several benefits for residents:

• Improved safety: The 5-inch hoses will increase water flow capacity by nearly 77 percent, allowing for faster and more efficient fire suppression. New hoses also reduce the risk of failure during emergencies.

• Better mutual aid response: Standardizing equipment will ensure seamless operations during mutual aid responses, as several neighboring departments already use 5-inch supply lines.

• Taxpayer savings: Receiving this grant helps offset long-term equipment costs for taxpayers.

“This grant is a major win for our community,” said Fire Chief Craig Stevens. “By replacing aging hose and upgrading to modern 5-inch supply lines, we’re not only improving safety for our firefighters but also ensuring we can deliver more water faster to protect homes, businesses and critical infrastructure. It’s an investment that directly benefits every resident of Citrus County.”