The Wayland Fire Department is getting financial help to purchase a new backup generator.

Wayland City Clerk Beverly Conrad says the fire department’s existing generator has been repaired several times and still has had several mechanical issues. She says the City has received a $3,000 Enhanced Henry County Community Foundation grant to help with buying a new generator which will be hooked up to the City’s natural gas service line and will turn on automatically when needed.

Conrad says the generator will also assist the fire station when it is used as a public emergency shelter.. She says it also means they can count on getting doors open to get equipment out to provide emergency services to Wayland and surrounding townships.

Conrad says the project will cost about $10,000 total with materials and the time the City will donate to put in the natural gas service line. She says the fire department has contributed more than $1,000 and the City will cover the remaining cost. Conrad says a target date for installation of the new generator hasn’t been set and will depend largely on “weather permitting.”