LaCrosse Volunteer Fire Department Receives Nearly $100,000 for New Equipment

Thanks to a grant award of nearly $100,000, the LaCrosse Volunteer Fire Department will be able to secure some new equipment that will help improve efficiency and safety.  

Fire Chief Aaron Rust said he found a grant opportunity through the Gary Sinise Foundation’s First Responders Outreach Program online back in April and applied for it then.

He added that he was contacted for additional information about his request in June and then received the good news about the award earlier this week.

He explained, “Tuesday, I received a phone call from the Gary Sinise Foundation saying that we had been awarded the grant and it was fully funded for the $99,999.99”

The funding is being utilized to purchase 9 complete MSA G1 self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) with built-in thermal imaging capabilities, spare air tanks, an Arctic air compressor and SCBA fill station with a 4 bottle cascade system. The equipment will come from 5 Alarm Fire and Safety.

Chief Rust reported that this is a pretty historically significant award.

He shared, “It’s just pretty exciting news for us. It’s the largest grant we’ve ever received in my 12 or 13 years as Fire Chief there and to my knowledge, it’s the largest grant the department has ever received.”

He added that this is a good opportunity to ensure they’re taking care of their members as well as they can.

Chief Rust said, “To improve the firefighters’ safety that’s key for us and to be able to utilize this new modern technology that they’re coming out with every day in the fire industry is going to be a blessing.

Department officials stated that once the new equipment is received, they will post photos to their social media account. To learn more about this grant award and others they have obtained recently, check out the LaCrosse Volunteer Fire Department Facebook Page.