Peabody, MA – A Massachusetts fire department became one of the nation’s first fire departments to be awarded funds from a competitive national grant program sponsored by TUMS(r) and the First Responder Institute, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing assistance to emergency personnel nationwide. The Peabody Fire Department, one of five departments selected in the country, received $10,000 from the TUMS grant-in-aid program and leveraged the award to obtain more than $40,000 in matching funds from local businesses. The funding enabled the department to purchase an advanced air system that will provide breathing air to its technical rescue team in trench and confined space rescue situations.
The national grant program was established in January 2003 through the “TUMS Helps Put Out More Fires Than You Think” campaign.The cause-related campaign, donated $0.10 to the First Responder Institute for each TUMS bottle purchased, up to $200,000, to help fire departments sorely in need of new equipment. Interested fire departments are invited to apply for additional grants.Other first quarter winners were located in Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Indiana and Georgia.
“This fire department is just one of many across the country struggling with budget cuts and a lack of up-to-date equipment,” said Traci Plate, TUMS promotions manager, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare and member of the FRI board of directors.
Additional grants from the TUMS grant-in-aid program will be made throughout the year.Applications for grants, ranging from $2,500 to $10,000, may be obtained from the FRI Web site (www.firstresponder.org).Departments can complete the grant form and file it electronically, and any U.S. fire department is eligible to apply.Every quarter, the FRI board of directors will review the applications and determine who will be funded.Applications will be accepted, reviewed and distributed on a quarterly basis.Quarters end on June 30th, September 30th and December 31st and decisions will be made by the end of the month following each respective quarter.
“The Peabody Fire Department was selected to receive the maximum grant because of its demonstrable need for new equipment, its enthusiasm for the program and its plans to gain additional support from area businesses,” said Dr. Paul Davis, founder of the First Responder Institute (FRI).”The cost of training and equipping a firefighter can cost $6,000, and protective clothing alone costs about $2,000. Due to drastic mid-year budget cuts, Peabody’s need for funding is greater than ever.”
Private Sector Funding Is Critical to Firefighters’ Equipment Needs
Thousands of fire departments across the country are struggling with budget cutbacks that hurt their ability to keep their equipment up-to-date.Moreover, more than 85% of America’s firefighters are volunteers, many of whose departments operate with annual budgets of only $10,000 – $15,000 to cover all their costs. In these times of more limited government budgets and funding, private sector support is vital.
