Illinois Fire Departments Receive $10,000 Grants

      State Farm® and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have teamed up for the second year to support local volunteer fire departments with funding to secure needed equipment to help keep their responders safe and protect their communities. Through this year’s Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program, 150 departments in 44 states received a $10,000 grant, including seven departments in Illinois.

       The announcement was made on August 18, a date many celebrate as Volunteer Firefighters Recognition Day. Volunteer firefighters make up 65% of the U.S. fire service, and communities across the country rely on volunteers to respond to emergencies of all kinds – from structure and wild land fires, to vehicle crashes and medical emergencies, to natural disasters and hazmat incidents.

       Many of these small-town and rural fire departments operate with limited budgets, making it difficult to meet the rising costs of the equipment and gear they need to best serve their community. These grants are a lifeline for local departments to obtain equipment that will increase safety, efficiency and effectiveness. Grants will be used to purchase a wide variety of department necessities.

  In Illinois, the following volunteer fire departments will receive grants:

   •Elmwood Fire Department

   •Farina Fire Protection District

   •Goreville Volunteer Fire

Department

   •Hillsdale Fire Protection District

   •New Haven Volunteer Fire Department

   •Pocahontas-Old Ripley

Volunteer Fire Department

   •St. Peter Fire Protection

District