The Hampden Township Volunteer Fire Company on Jan. 24 formally accepted a grant in the amount of $10,932.99 from Energy Transfer, which aided in the purchase of equipment to enhance the organization’s firefighting capabilities, PennLive.com reported.

Energy Transfer is one of the largest energy logistics companies in the country, with approximately 3,000 miles of pipeline infrastructure and gathering systems located in Pennsylvania, a press release from the township said.

The Reeves Foundation awarded $1,311,363.50 to 56 local organizations last year, TimesReporter.com reported.

The nonprofit was founded in 1966 by businessman Samuel J. Reeves Jr. with funding in part from his two sisters, Helen and Jane, and wife, Margaret, the report said. The foundation’s emphasis is on health agencies, with grants also available for youth agencies, education and public administration, according to the report. Priority is given to capital improvement projects, and requests within Tuscarawas County.

The foundation has handed out $40.9 million since inception, the report said.

The 2022 fire department grant recipients, amounts and grant purposes are:

• York Township Fire Department: $6,480, thermal-imaging camera.
• Uhrichsville Fire Department: $28,583, repair refinish floors/new grating.
• Mineral City Volunteer Fire Department: $45,446.46, dive rescue equipment.

The Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund awarded the Magnolia Fire Department $10,000 in November, MagnoliaBannerNews.com reported.

The Magnolia Fire Department used the award funding to purchase equipment for its rescue truck, the report said.

Dylan Suttles
The Telegraph, Alton, Ill.
(TNS)

Jan. 29—GRAFTON — The QEM Fire Protection District of Elsah/Grafton has completed renovation of three-story life fire training tower in rural Jersey County.

The renovation started on March 8, 2022, and was completed on Dec. 14, 2022. It included replacing fire tiles in two burn rooms, the installation of a new pyrometer/temperature meter with six sensors, repairs to interior water pipes and a new burn table, doors, vents and exterior lights. The exterior of the tower was also painted.

Fire Facilities, Inc., manufacturer of the fire tower, provided materials for the renovation and arrangements for the inspection by the structural engineer. TMI Coatings of St. Paul, Minnesota was the painting and restoration contractor. Bollinger Services of Grafton was the general contractor for the renovation.

On Nov. 15, 2022, the tower received an in-depth Non-Gas Fired/Five-Year Inspection by Response Structural Engineers, a licensed professional structural engineering firm based in California, with live fire training structure experience and expertise. The inspection is required every five years by the National Fire Protection Act (NFPA) 1403.

The renovations all passed inspection requirements, and recommendations were made for future maintenance and improvements of the facility.

Future plans for the fire tower include partnering with the Illinois Fire Service Institute on the campus of the University of Illinois to provide on-site training for Illinois fire fighters and other first responders. The training will include cornerstone and certification classes taught in the classroom and live fire training exercises taught at the fire tower.

Plans also are being developed by the QEM Auxiliary to host an open house of the fire tower, classroom, and fire station this spring.

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