The Elgin Fire Department will be purchasing personal protective gear for their Hazardous Material Team thanks to a grant from Illinois American Water.

The IAW 2015 Firefighter Grant Program provides financial assistance to fire and emergency organizations serving communities in its service areas. This year, approximately $49,600 will be awarded to 62 fire departments.  

According to Bruce Hauk, president of Illinois American Water, the Firefighter Grant Program has been successful in providing assistance to community fire protection efforts. He said, “Since creation, the program has resulted in providing over 280 grants totaling over $294,000 to fire departments across Illinois. We are grateful that we can play a role in supporting the firefighter community as a whole in this great state.”

Grants of up to $800 are awarded to cover the costs associated with the following:

• Personal protective gear
• Communications equipment
• Firefighting tools
• Water handling equipment
• Training and related activities/materials used to support community fire protection
• Reimbursement for specific fire training classes, including training manuals and workbooks

“The Elgin Fire Department is always looking for grant opportunities that enable us to purchase new equipment without placing an additional financial burden on our taxpayers,” stated Elgin Fire Chief John P. Fahy. “On behalf of the citizens of the city of Elgin we would like to express our gratitude to Illinois American Water for their generous grant.”

About Illinois American Water

Illinois American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 1.2 million people. American Water also operates a customer service center in Alton and a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville.

Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, NJ, the company employs 6,800 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 15 million people in 47 states and Ontario, Canada. More information can be found at www.amwater.com.

Caption for Feature Photo

Tom Harrell, Illinois American Water; Wayne Smith, Elgin Fire Lieutenant; Bryan McMahan, Elgin Fire Assistant Chief; Andy Zawada, Elgin Fire Paramedic; and Natalee Cedillo, Illinois American Water.