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The Decatur County Commissioners met for their second monthly meeting this past Tuesday. Among the items on the evening’s agenda was Assistant Fire Chief Jamie Earp requesting to join a third party cooperative, HGACBuy.

Decatur Fire and Rescue recently received the Assistance to Firefighters Grant, which is to be used for purchasing fire trucks and equipment. HGACBuy (Helping Governments Across the Country Buy) would serve as a sort of financial advisor, ensuring all grant funds are spent appropriately, from a reputable contractor, and that there is a verifiable paper trail, should the fire department be audited.

The program is a part of the Houston-Galveston Area Council, and is based in Houston, Texas. Describing itself as a “government to government procurement service,” it is employed by dozens of government divisions and non-profit corporations across the Southeast and thousands across the country. There is no cost for membership; instead, HGACBuys charges a fee to the contractor the department would be purchasing from.

“I feel like this is the most appropriate and best step in making sure that we’re doing the best, making sure that we’re paying the companies we’re buying from, that we’re being good stewards of the money, and that we’re leaving a good paper trail so it’s obvious what we’ve done with our money and how we’ve done it,” Earp said. The commissioners approved the decision to join HGACBuys and use their services.