Area fire departments among those awarded state grant funds

The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal, OSFM, and Gov. JB Pritzker have announced the recipients of the Small Equipment Grant Program. 

A total of $3.5 million was awarded to 154 fire departments/districts and EMS providers. 

The OSFM received 540 applications, requesting around $12 million in funding during this grant period.

Fire departments in area counties are among those receiving grants, including:

Alexander County

Tamms Volunteer Fire Department: $26,000.

Jackson County

Campbell Hill Community Volunteer Fire Department: $25,962.88.

Tower Rock Fire Protection District: $25,696.52.

Ava Volunteer Fire Department: $26,000.

Johnson County

Buncombe Volunteer Fire Department: $25,487.76.

Massac County

Joppa Fire Department: $26,000.

Pulaski County

Mounds City Fire Department: $25,334.

Mounds Volunteer Fire Department: $25,780.35.

Union County

Cobden Fire Department: $24,524.30.

Dongola Fire Department: $25,146.

“First responders put their lives on the line every single day to do the critical work of protecting Illinois’ communities. I am pleased to award $3.5 million in small equipment grants to 154 fire departments and EMS providers throughout the state that will enable the purchase of new firefighting and ambulance equipment,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a news release which announced the grants. 

“I am grateful for the work our first responders do, and how they work so diligently to maintain the safety of our families.”

The Small Equipment Grant Program was established to provide grants of up to $26,000 for the purchase of small firefighting and ambulance equipment. 

This program is seen as an approach to a problem that has long caused difficulties for the fire departments and not-for profit ambulance services in Illinois, particularly those that have hardships in generating the necessary revenue for small equipment. 

The purpose is to allow eligible applicants the opportunity to purchase small equipment that they may otherwise not be able to purchase.

“Ensuring that first responders have the equipment they need to operate effectively and safely is a top priority of the OSFM. Most smaller departments and districts struggle financially to replace or upgrade aging equipment. The impending fiscal impacts resulting from the COVID-19 crisis make the OSFM’s Small Equipment Grant Program even more critical to help ease that burden,” says Illinois State Fire Marshal Matt Perez.