The Drakes Branch Volunteer Fire Department was awarded nearly $19,000 to replace much-needed and out-of-date equipment.

The fire department was awarded $18,700 by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA, according to a news release from United State Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, allocated funds to several other counties in Virginia to replace equipment at fire and police departments, and to support nonprofit organizations that serve children and the elderly.

According to the release, the $18,700 will go toward purchasing new fire hoses and turn-out gear at the Drakes Branch Volunteer Fire Department to replace outdated equipment that is at least 45 years old.

The allocation was part of a total $116,000 that the USDA provided for rural development assistance.

“Every day, brave men and women in fire and law enforcement put themselves in harm’s way for the sake of families in our communities. The least they deserve is functional, up-to-date equipment that allows them to fulfill their duties,” Kaine and Warner said in the release. “We look forward to seeing these rural development grants be put to good use by helping enhance public safety in the Commonwealth. We are also pleased to know that federal assistance will go directly toward supporting two important nonprofit programs in Virginia. From our youngest Virginians, to our most elderly, we cannot afford to forget about folks in rural communities.”