The Sparta Fire Department was among three firefighting agencies in Southwest Illinois to receive state grants this week for safety equipment.
One hundred firefighting agencies and nonprofit ambulance operators around the state will receive grants of up to $26,000 to purchase equipment such as protective clothes, breathing devices and other safety gear, the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office said. An allocation of $2.2 million from the state’s Fire Prevention Fund will fund the awards.
“Firefighters do not hesitate to put themselves in harm’s way to battle fires, to save lives and to keep us safe,” Gov. Bruce Rauner told fire chiefs who gathered in Springfield. “It is our job to ensure they have the equipment needed to stay safe. This grant ensures fire departments are better equipped, allowing first-responders to more effectively and safely do their jobs.”
For Southwest Illinois, the grants totaled:
– Sparta Fire Department, $26,000
– Valmeyer Fire Protection District, $24,640
– Ellis Grove Volunteer Fire Department, $25,810
More than 400 fire departments from across Illinois applied for the grants, according to State Fire Marshal Matt Perez. The grant requests totaled $9 million.
“We ensured that the neediest stations across the state received the money to ensure the safety of the men and women that protect their cities,” Perez said in a prepared statement. “It is imperative that we continue to find ways to aid the men and women that respond first in a disaster and always put the lives of others before their own.”
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