Photo by Deb Gau Kasey Holm and Troy Wendland presented a funding request from the Balaton Fire Department during Tuesday’s Lyon County Board meeting. Both the Balaton and Garvin fire departments presented funding requests to commissioners.

MARSHALL — Having the right equipment can make a crucial difference for emergency responders, and during the COVID-19 pandemic area firefighters also need to pay extra attention to cleaning and decontaminating gear.

However, it’s not always easy to pay for needed equipment, especially for smaller communities.

This week, the Balaton and Garvin Fire Departments each requested county funding to help make it possible to buy equipment for local fire and ambulance services.

Lyon County Commissioners were supportive, voting to approve the funding partly as grants and partly as zero-interest loans that would need to be repaid in five years.

At Tuesday’s county board meeting, commissioners heard from fire department and city council representatives from both Balaton and Garvin. Troy Wendland and Kasey Holm of the Balaton Fire Department and Balaton City Council member Dylan Fricke said Balaton was purchasing equipment for the Balaton Fire and Ambulance.

They said the fire department and ambulance service planned to purchase equipment like a washer and dryer for ambulance linens, a gear dryer for the fire department, and an iPad to help replace outdated computer software for the ambulance. Balaton had received CARES Act funding for the turnout gear dryer, they said.

Commissioner Rick Anderson said the county could take a similar approach to Balaton’s funding request as it did for cities like Ghent last fall. In November, the city of Ghent had approached the county to ask for $70,000 to update its fire hall with a decontamination area.

At that time, commissioners had approved $50,000 in grant funding and $20,000 in a zero-interest loan to be paid back in five years.

Anderson said 28% of Balaton’s funding request could come in the form of a zero-interest loan, with a five-year term.

Commissioners voted to approve Balaton’s request of up to $8,500, under those conditions.

Commissioners also heard and approved a funding request from the Garvin Fire Department. Jason Algyer and Garvin City Council member Joe Stefanick said the fire department had received CARES Act funding for a washer, but still needed funding for a gear dryer.