SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. — Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America, the Farm Credit cooperative’s giving program, has awarded 177 grants as part of their Emergency Response Equipment Program, including 15 new collaboration grants for equipment shared by multiple departments.
Emergency Response Equipment Grants help to offset the cost of equipment that community emergency response departments need to carry out their important work throughout rural America. Additionally, the new Emergency Response Equipment Collaboration Grant highlighted the critical need for teamwork between volunteer fire, rescue and ambulance departments when responding to emergencies.
“We know rural departments often share resources and important pieces of life-saving equipment,” said Karen Schieler, senior corporate giving specialist with Compeer Financial. “The spirit of collaboration is strong for emergency departments across Compeer’s territory and we hope these grants can help impact even more lives. First responders give so much when people are in need, and these tools and resources will help in critical situations.”
The 2022 Emergency Response Equipment Collaboration Grants are for up to $10,000; and will directly impact 41 collaborating departments, 872 department members, 3,239 square miles of coverage and 121,007 residents. This year was the first time this grant was offered.
The departments receiving the Emergency Response Collaboration Grants include:
Illinois
- Manlius Fire Protection District & Sheffield Fire Protection District: battery-operated extrication spreader
- Schuyler County EMS & Schuyler County Rescue Squad: mechanical chest compression system
- Sheridan Community Fire Protection District & Serena Community Fire Protection District: mechanical chest compression system
- Sublette Fire Protection District & West Brooklyn Fire Protection District: mechanical chest compression system
- Toluca-Rutland Fire Protection District, Wenona Fire Protection District, Lostant Fire Protection District & Minonk Fire Protection District: respirator fit testing machine
Minnesota
- Dovray Fire Department & Westbrook Fire Department: battery-operated combination auto extrication spreader and cutter
- Gibbon Fire and Rescue & Green Isle Fire and Rescue: respirator fit testing machine
- Randolph-Hampton Fire Department & Cannon Falls Fire Department: hose tester
- Spring Grove Fire Department, Spring Grove Ambulance & Eitzen Fire Department: stackable airbags for controlled lifting
Wisconsin
- Alma Center Community Fire Department & Merrillan Volunteer Fire Department: battery-operated extrication spreader
- Burnett Fire Department & Horicon Fire Department: extrication ram
- Menomonie Fire Department, Boyceville EMS, Colfax Ambulance & Elmwood EMS: mechanical chest compression system
- Rio Fire Department, Wyocena Fire Department & Doylestown Fire Department: breathing air compressor
- Sharon Fire and Rescue, Darien Fire and EMS Department, Walworth Fire and EMS Department & Medic 391 – Shared Paramedic Ambulance Service: battery-operated combination spreader/cutter extrication tool
- Town of Campbell Fire Department & La Crescent Fire Department: respirator fit testing machine
Additionally, 162 individual departments received Emergency Response Equipment Grants for up to $4,000. Since the program was established in 2018, the Fund has awarded 808 Emergency Response Equipment Grants totaling $2.4 million.
The organizations in Compeer Financial’s territory receiving support from the Emergency Response Equipment Grant Program include:
Illinois
- Alexis Fire Protection District: handheld radios, pagers, vests
- B.Y.E. Ambulance Service Inc: cardiac-defibrillator monitor
- Big Rock Fire Protection District: replacing AEDs
- Bloomington Township Fire Protection District: thermal imaging camera
- Bowen Fire Protection District: SCBA tanks, flashlights and helmet lights
- Buckheart Township Fire Protection District: a portable radio and a truck radio
- Carlock Fire Protection District: nozzles
- Cedarville Fire Department: battery powered smoke ejector
- City of Ottawa Fire Department: forestry hose, nozzles, flappers, brooms and rakes
- Colchester Fire Protection District: battery powered hydraulic extrication cutters, spreaders, and a dash ram
- Compton Fire Protection District: battery operated positive pressure fan
- Creve Coeur Fire Department: AED
- Dalzell Fire Protection District: nozzles, hydrant valve, and hose
- Deer Creek Protection District: turnout coat, pant, helmet, fire boots, fire resistant hood
- Dunlap Fire Protection District: winch system, rope rescue system, thermal imaging camera, and gas multi meter
- Elizabeth Community Ambulance Service: vacuum splints and traction splints
- Elmwood Fire Department: portable radios
- Fairbury Fire Department: multi gas monitor and calibration kit
- Farmington Fire Protection District: thermal imager bundle and flashlights
- Forman Fire Protection District: wildland gear and helmet
- Geneseo Fire Protection District: hoods
- German Valley Fire Protection District: portable radios
- Grand Ridge Volunteer Fire Department: thermal imaging camera
- Gridley Emergency Medical Service: portable suctions, medication bag, stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs and monitors
- Hillsdale Fire Protection District: grain bin rescue auger, LED tower light, battery, chargers
- Kaneville Fire Protection District: gas monitors and testing kit
- Lena Fire Protection District: respirator fit testing system with bluetooth
- Loraine Fire Protection District: hermal imaging cameras
- Lyndon Fire Department: vehicle stabilization strut package
- M.S.T. Fire Department: handheld radios and pagers
- Mendon Fire Protection District: Grain bin rescue equipment: ropes, pulleys, harnesses, and carabiners
- Milledgeville Fire Department: radios, batteries, microphones, and chargers
- Mt. Morris Fire Protection District: structural turnout gear
- Naplate Fire Department: AEDs
- Nauvoo Fire Protection District: SCBAs
- North Boone Fire District 3: a thermal imager
- Oneida-Wataga Fire Protection District – Oneida Station: portable radios
- Oregon Fire Protection District: rope, pulleys and stokes basket
- Osco Fire Department: ground monitor
- Polo Fire Protection District: battery powered extrication equipment
- Princeton Fire Department: gloves and hoods
- Prophetstown Fire Department: truck mounted scene lights
- Randolph Township Fire Protection District: stabilizer and mounts to hydraulic spreaders, strut Jacks, glass cutter and chains
- Raritan Volunteer Fire Department: handheld thermal imagers
- Roanoke Fire Protection District Roanoke Ambulance Department: laptops and covers, battery charger
- Salina Township Fire Protection District: air monitoring equipment and calibration equipment
- Shabbona Fire Department: radio straps and holsters
- Southeast Livingston County Ambulance Service: radios
- Stillman Fire Protection District: battery operated extrication combination tool
- Stockton Fire Protection District: portable radios
- Toluca-Rutland Fire Protection District: portable radios with charging bases and speaker microphones
- Village of Dwight EMS: AED, EMS trauma bags, medication bag and supplies
- West Point Fire Protection District: new firefighter gear
Minnesota
- Albany Fire and Rescue: harness, roping and retrieval equipment
- Bricelyn Fire and Ambulance: pagers and a handheld radio
- Butterfield Fire Department: structural turnout gear
- Chandler Fire Department: new SCBA sets
- Cokato Fire Department: turnout gear
- Conger Fire Department: SCBA bottles
- Cook Area Ambulance Service: pagers
- Courtland Rural Fire Association: new pagers
- Cromwell-Wright Area Fire District: a thermal imaging camera
- Eagle Lake Fire Department: extrication-lifting air bags, controller and hoses kit
- Eden Valley Fire and Rescue: boots, EPI pens, and soft cots
- Ellendale Fire and Rescue: AED, fire and extrication gloves
- Ellsworth Volunteer Fire Department: ground monitor, visibility safety vests, LED flashlights
- Elrosa Fire and Rescue: pagers
- Garrison Fire and Rescue: a patient monitor and extrication gloves
- Gibbon Fire and Rescue: fans, hand tools, power tools
- Glencoe Fire Department: positive pressure fan
- Goodview Fire and Rescue: new bottles for self-contained breathing apparatus
- Granada First Responders: AED, pads, child key, replacement batteries, bandages, stop the bleed kits, gloves, roll gauze, quick clot, surgical tape, and wrap
- Hills Fire Department: pagers
- Houston Community Ambulance Service: chest compression system
- Jackson Volunteer Ambulance Service: portable radio and programming
- Kilkenny Fire Department: pagers
- LeRoy Fire Department: lights, sirens, and radios
- Mantorville Fire and Rescue: digital pagers
- Mazeppa Fire Department: thermal image camera
- Miesville Fire Department: water movement equipment, structural turnout gear and PPE
- Minnesota Lake Fire Department: grain rescuing equipment
- Murray County Ambulance: pagers and handheld radio
- Myrtle Community Fire Department: new turnout gear
- New Auburn Fire and Rescue: hose, valve, and nozzles
- New Prague Fire Department: extractor for washing turnout gear
- New Ulm Fire Department: extrication rescue tools
- Odin Fire Department: automatic external defibrillators, CPR electrodes, batteries
- Oronoco Fire Department: pagers
- Ostrander Rural Fire Department: hose, nozzles and a valve
- Pierz Fire Department: portable radio with wire shoulder mount speaker and charging mount
- Pine City Fire Department: grain and low angle rescue equipment
- Pipestone Ambulance Association: computer docking stations and mounts
- Round Lake Volunteer Fire Department: nozzles and a deck gun
- Shafer Franconia Fire and Rescue: new pagers
- Spring Grove Fire Department: hoods and fire gloves
- Spring Valley Area Ambulance: radios and charging stations
- St. Charles Ambulance Service: wireless router, antenna, mounting brackets and installation
- St. Martin Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department: portable pump
- Upsala First Response Team-EMS: reusable triage tarps, sharps containers, patient transporter, transport chair, airway support straps, suction canister, gloves, I-Gel bag, thermometer, band-aids, suction cups, caution tape, alcohol prep pads, splints, and bandages
- Waldorf Fire and Rescue: hose and fittings
- Walters Volunteer Fire Department: new helmets
- Watertown Fire Department: mobile radios
- Wilson Volunteer Fire Department: new masks and straps for SCBAs
- Windom Volunteer Fire Department: drop tank liners
- Winnebago Fire Department: new sets of turnout gear
- Winsted Fire Department: grain bin rescue auger and drill kit
- Zumbrota Area Ambulance: a portable radio
- Zumbrota Fire Department: new air bottles for self-contained breathing apparatus packs
Wisconsin
- Allenton Volunteer Fire Department: hose, high angle rescue equipment; pullies, anchor plates, carabiners
- Arcadia Ambulance Service: pagers
- Barnes Fire Department: car fire blanket
- Barneveld Area Rescue Squad: helmet lamps, patient lifting kit, suction unit
- Bear Lake-Haugen Fire Department: CO detectors, structural firefighting gloves
- Blanchardville Fire Department: positive pressure fan
- Boyd-Edson-Delmar Rural Fire District: supply, fill oxygen manifold
- Brandon Fairwater Fire Department: new sets of turnout gear
- Brodhead Area Emergency Medical Services: mobile radios, hand-held portable radios with shoulder mic
- Burnett Fire Department: firefighter turnout gear
- Cambridge Volunteer Fire Department: mobile and portable radio upgrades
- Colfax Rescue: pagers
- Cornell Area Fire Department: portable radios
- Darien Fire-EMS Department: emergency scene signs, traffic safety vests, lighted traffic safety cones, traffic control signs
- Eldorado Volunteer Fire Department: supply hose, coupling, fire attack hose
- Elkhart Lake First Responders: EMT bags
- Evansville Fire Protection District: circular saw and blades
- Fall River Fire Department: turnout gear
- Farmington Volunteer Fire Department: LED emergency scene lighting systems
- Friesland Fire Department: new pagers
- Glenwood City Ambulance: AED
- Gratiot Fire Department: grain bin rescue equipment
- Harrison Fire Rescue: portable scene lights
- Herbster Volunteer Fire Department: SCBA
- Hollandale Fire Department: positive pressure ventilation fan
- Iron Ridge Fire Department: structural fire gloves, extrication gloves, hoods
- Kohlsville Volunteer Fire Company: extractor and gear dryer
- Lebanon Fire Department: pagers with a battery and charger
- Livingston-Clifton Fire Department: turnout gear
- Loganville Area Fire Department: SCBA facepieces
- Lund Fire Department: grain bin rescue system
- Melrose Fire Department: hose
- Milltown Community Fire Association: thermal imaging camera
- Montello Joint Fire District: hose
- Omro-Rushford Fire Department: air compressor and wildland fire pump
- Osseo Rural Fire District: thermal imaging cameras
- Platteville Fire Department Inc: hydrant valves
- Poplar Volunteer Fire Department: manifold and hoses
- Prairie du Sac Volunteer Fire Department: portable radio and pagers
- Princeton Volunteer Fire and Rescue: gear and equipment dryer
- Richland Center Fire Department: gas meter, incident command boards
- Rusk County Ambulance: EMR bags and equipment
- Sheldon Fire Protection District: ice rescue suits, PFD, helmet, headlamp, rescue throw bag, rescue awls, ice cleats, command board, and accountability tags
- South Shore EMS: pagers, radio batteries, and computer with docking station
- Stoddard Bergen Volunteer Fire Department: nozzles
- Town of Burlington Volunteer Fire Department: portable tower light charger kits, tool combo kits
- Town of Sheboygan Falls Fire Department: rescue air bags
- Tri Community Fire Department: portable radios
- Village of Saukville Fire Department: safety vests, suction units
- Waumandee Montana Lincoln Fire Department: grain bin rescue system, platform, step and pipe, grain bin auger, and power unit
- Wauzeka First Responders: blood pressure monitor, carrying case, rescue throw ropes
- Westfield Fire Department: firefighting boots
- Wilton Volunteer Fire Department: structural fire turnout gear
- Wonewoc Fire and Ambulance: hose
The Fund intends to offer both of these grants again in August 2023.
About the Fund for Rural America
The Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America is the corporate giving program of Compeer Financial, structured to support Compeer Financial’s mission to enrich agriculture and rural America. Compeer Financial’s Board of Directors has dedicated one percent of annual net earnings to support the Fund’s focus areas of agricultural advocacy and development, agriculture education, cooperative initiatives, rural development and community enrichment; and youth engagement. The Fund is managed by a Board of Trustees, made up of team members from Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin and members of the Compeer Financial Board of Directors. More information about opportunities available through the Fund can be found at Compeer.com/giving-back.
About Compeer Financial
Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural communities. The $27.3 billion organization provides loans, leases, risk management and other financial services throughout 144 counties in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Based in the Upper Midwest, Compeer Financial exists to champion the hopes and dreams of rural America, while providing personalized service and expertise to clients and the agriculture industry.
Compeer Financial is the third largest cooperative of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of lending institutions supporting agriculture and rural communities with reliable, consistent credit and financial services. Learn more about Compeer Financial.
— Compeer Financial
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