Wellsburg Fire Department receives over $40,000 in grant money

By: 
Michaela Kendall

WELLSBURG – For small town fire departments with tight budgets, it can be hard to find funding for equipment updates, says Wellsburg Fire Chief Greg Winger. But, thanks to generously awarded grant dollars, the Wellsburg Fire Department recently received over $40,000 to purchase much-needed safety equipment.

 

So far this year, the Wellsburg Fire Department has received two different grants to help fund the upgrades: an $8,000 grant from the Grundy County Community Foundation, and a $26,500 grant from the Black Hawk County Gaming Association and the Isle Casino and Hotel in Waterloo. The department also received a donation of two portable radios from Snittjer Grain in Wellsburg, worth $4,400, as well as another two radios from the City of Wellsburg, paid for through tax dollars.

 

The grant dollars from the Grundy County Community Foundation and the Black Hawk County Gaming Association and Isle Casino and Hotel were used to purchase new air packs and masks for members of the volunteer fire department.

 

Winger says many of the old air packs had issues, and the department has been working on upgrading them since January of 2016, purchasing a few here and there as funding comes in.

 

“The grants help so much with sustaining [the department]; they help us alleviate the cost to the city associated with upgrading equipment, and they really help us serve the community better,” Winger said.

 

For the full story, see this week's Grundy Register. Subscribe by calling (319) 824-6958 or clicking here. 

The Grundy Register

601 G. Avenue - P.O. Box 245
Grundy Center, IA 50638
Telephone: 1-319-824-6958
Fax: 1-800-340-0805

Mid-America Publishing

This newspaper is part of the Mid-America Publishing Family. Please visit www.midampublishing.com for more information.