Canton, NC (April 24, 2025) – Cruso Fire and Rescue recently purchased a new fire truck in partnership with Haywood EMC, the electric cooperative providing electric service to the department. The funding of this truck was secured at zero-interest through the USDA’s Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program.
This new freightliner chassis truck is equipped with the latest technology and safety features and replaces a truck that has served the department for the last 35 years. With the purchase of this truck, Cruso Fire and Rescue Department will be able to better serve its fire district, which encompasses approximately 52 square-miles and includes a large portion of the Pisgah National Forest and a 20-mile section of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Haywood EMC’s ongoing commitment to local fire departments is furthered through the securing of these funds through the USDA’s REDLG program – the first of its kind in Haywood County. The program allows electric cooperatives, like Haywood EMC, to receive grants and/or loans to enable projects with local emergency services and more with zero-percent interest loans.
“We are thankful to partner with Cruso Fire and Rescue and assist in the purchase of this new truck” Says Haywood EMC’s Mitch Bearden. “This truck will assist Cruso as they serve the cooperative’s members in the Cruso community for years to come!”
Haywood EMC hopes that the purchase of this truck will spur on more projects through the REDLG program to benefit the communities it serves across Western North Carolina. For more information on this program, visit Haywood EMC’s website at www.haywoodemc.com/redlg
Haywood EMC is an electric cooperative, supplying electricity to over 29,100 member-owners in Buncombe, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Madison and Transylvania counties in NC as well as Oconee SC and Rabun GA. For more information, visit www.haywoodemc.com or the cooperative’s social media on Facebook, Instagram or X.
Cruso Fire and Rescue operates 2 stations in the Cruso Community of Haywood County. The communities they serve exist in some of the most remote and rugged areas of North Carolina, including large portions of the Pisgah National Forest and a 20-mile section of the Blue Ridge Parkway.