Illinois American Water Distributes Grant to Des Plaines Fire Department
The Des Plaines Fire Department will be purchasing hose bridges that allow vehicles to drive over and not damage water hoses at a fire scene thanks to a grant from Illinois American Water (IAW). This grant funding will be used for the purchase of collapsible bridges that keep the water hoses intact while they are fighting fires and cars need to pass through. They can simply drive over the bridges without damaging the hoses or the need for firefighters to stop what they are doing, turn off the hose and move it out of the way for vehicles.
The IAW 2018 Firefighter Grant Program provides financial assistance to fire and emergency organizations serving communities in its service areas. This year, approximately $77,000 will be awarded to 78 Illinois fire departments. Since the program was created in 2010, over 500 grants totaling over $493,000 has been awarded to fire and emergency organizations serving customers in Illinois American Water's service area.
"We are proud to partner with our local firefighters. Illinois American Water tests and operates every fire hydrant annually. We also maintain all of the hydrants, over 29,000 across the state, in our service areas. We know the critical role water plays in protecting homes and businesses and we also know resources for our local heroes often runs short. Through this grant program, we are able to partner on another level and further support our local heroes," said Bruce Hauk, Illinois American Water President.
Illinois American Water's Firefighter Grant Program awards grants to provide personal protective gear, communications equipment, firefighting tools, water handling equipment, training materials and classroom programs.
Des Plaines Fire Chief Alan Wax thanked Illinois American Water during the check presentation. "We are so appreciative of Illinois American Water's continued support of our Department and our efforts to provide the best service to our community," stated Wax. The purchase of the equipment with these grant funds will allow us to immediately improve emergency scene access, thus increasing our response efficiency. We are very grateful."
About Illinois American Water - Illinois American Water, a 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 1.3 million people. American Water also operates a customer service center in Alton and a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville.
With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly-traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 7,100 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to over 14 million people in 45 states and Ontario, Canada. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.