The donation of pants, jackets, boots, stretchers and hoses for about 35 people is part of an initiative started by the Taber Lion’s Club.  

The goal is to help volunteers establish a community-based fire department just outside a small village called San Juan de la Costa, Chile — a South American spot that, incidentally, has about the same 10,000-person population as High River.

The state's congressional delegation announced the new fire grants for the Little Compton, North Kingstown, Warwick and Woonsocket Fire Departments.  

They are receiving a total of $1.1 million. The Warwick Fire Department will receive the most, about $635,000, to buy a new heavy-duty rescue vehicle to replace a 26-year-old medium-duty model.

The money was awarded through a Federal Emergency Management Agency program.

The delegation says the grants will help fire departments effectively respond to emergencies and keep communities safe.

When developer Tim Smith was approached by a former Abilene fire fighter to look at the 1952 fire truck he fell in love with it.It seemed like a perfect fit to display in the revitalized SoDA District. "It looked like it was in a wrecking yard. It was sad wanting someone to get a hold of it. I probably almost bit off more than I could chew. It had been painted so many times over the years it had to pretty much be brought back down to the bare metal and start over again so it's been a fun process it's just taken some time to get done," Danny's Auto Clinic owner, Danny Hogue said.