Illinois American Water Awards over $87,000 in Firefighter Grants
Illinois American Water announced its 2020 Firefighter Grant Program, distributing over $87,000 to 88 fire departments in Illinois. Since its inception in 2010, the program has awarded over $669,000 in grants. This year, every grant submission was approved in full, supporting various needs including pandemic-related resources and firefighting tools. The announcement coincides with National Fire Prevention Week, emphasizing fire safety awareness.
- Distribution of over $87,000 to 88 Illinois fire departments bolsters local firefighting capabilities.
- Complete approval of all grant applications demonstrates strong support for first responders.
- None.
BELLEVILLE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Over
“We know how important water is in protecting homes and businesses. We also understand the impact of the pandemic on our first responders. This is why we approved every grant we received in full this year, supporting our local heroes in a meaningful way,” said Justin Ladner, Illinois American Water President. “Some of the departments will use the grant funds for pandemic-related needs, while others will allocate the funds for communication tools, extraction equipment, training resources and more.”
Illinois American Water’s Firefighter Grant Program awards grants to support firefighter needs such as personal protective gear, communications equipment, firefighting tools, water handling equipment, training materials and classroom programs. To view the list of fire departments receiving grants across the state, please visit the News section of Illinois American Water’s website at www.illinoisamwater.com.
In addition to the Firefighter Grant Program, Illinois American Water partners with local firefighters on a daily basis. As a private water utility, the company is required to test and operate every fire hydrant annually. According to Ladner, Illinois American Water maintains over 32,000 fire hydrants across the state.
The firefighter grants are being announced in conjunction with National Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 4 – 10, 2020, to raise awareness about the importance of fire prevention and emergency planning. This year’s Fire Prevention Week theme is “Serve Up Fire Prevention Safety in the Kitchen!” It educates about the importance of staying safe in the kitchen. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home fires. Learn more at www.nfpa.org.
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 6,800 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to 15 million people in 46 states. 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.
Illinois American Water ranked #1 in Customer Satisfaction
with Large Water Utilities in the Midwest according to the J.D. Power
2020 Water Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study
For J.D. Power 2020 award information, visit jdpower.com/awards
