SUBLETTE – The Sublette Fire Protection District is set to receive $25,200 after being named a recipient of the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal 2024 Small Equipment Grant Program.
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SUBLETTE – The Sublette Fire Protection District is set to receive $25,200 after being named a recipient of the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal 2024 Small Equipment Grant Program.
Sublette Assistant Chief Nick Dinges wrote the grant and Sublette Fire Chief Kevin Schultz approved it in efforts to purchase new radios for the department.
“We’re going get eight new radios. They’re going to be the Motorola brand,” said Chief Schultz. “Communication on a fire scene is really a key factor on whether things go well or things can go very badly, very quickly. Having good quality radios really makes a difference in survivability and the general outcome of what happens at a fire scene.
“We are really, really thankful for this grant because it’s going to provide eight new lines of communication. We always figure grants extend our ability to pay for things. If we had to go out and buy radios, we may have bought one or two. The fact we can get eight and not pay much is a huge dividend for us.”
Schultz added providing quality, safe equipment and resources for the Sublette Fire Protection District is important to secure volunteers can perform at a high level.
A total of $4 million was awarded to 165 fire departments/districts and EMS providers across the state. The program was established to provide grants of up to $26,000 each for the purchase of small firefighting and ambulance equipment.
Also receiving a grant, worth $18,442, was the Leland Community Fire Protection District.
The OSFM received 417 applications, requesting approximately $9.5 million in funding for this grant period, which is a $2.5 million increase from a year ago.
Most Illinois fire departments, fire protections districts, township fire departments, and stand-alone, nonprofit ambulance service providers were eligible to apply. All fire departments, fire protections districts and township fire department applicants were required to have participated in the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) for a minimum of two years prior to applying.
