PITTSFIELD, N.H. — Since 2012, Globe, DuPont Protection Technologies, and the National Volunteer Fire Council have partnered to provide new turnout gear to fire departments in need. This year, Globe will donate 52 sets of gear to 13 all-volunteer or mostly volunteer fire departments in the U.S. and Canada that are members of the NVFC. Each winning department will receive four sets of gear.
The first three recipients of the 2016 Globe Gear Giveaway are Klawock Volunteer Fire Department, Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Department in New Jersey, and Norton Volunteer Fire Department (New Brunswick, Canada).
“We received over 600 applications for gear, demonstrating the real need that exists for this type of program,” said NVFC Chairman Kevin D. Quinn. “Many departments are struggling to provide gear to their members and often have to make do with gear that is old, non-compliant, ill-fitting, and otherwise inadequate, putting the safety of the boots-on-the-ground firefighters at risk.”
To be eligible to apply for the four new sets of Globe turnout gear, departments had to be all-volunteer or mostly-volunteer, serve a population of 25,000 or less, be legally organized in the U.S. or Canada, demonstrate a need for the gear and be a member of the NVFC.
The Klawock Volunteer Fire Department is located on the west side of Prince of Wales – a remote island in southeast Alaska accessible only by air or water. KVFD owns 11 sets of turnout gear, six of which were donations over 20 years old.
“This generous donation will not only help us retain our present volunteers, it will improve their operational readiness and ability to effectively protect life and property,” said KVFD Training Officer Robert Omstead.
The next winner, Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Department, provides emergency coverage to 38 square miles of New Jersey. The department averages 200 to 240 calls a year, consisting of motor vehicle accidents, structure fires, wildland fires, and various types of rescues. Currently, the 46-member department only has 38 sets of gear; of these, 14 are more than 10 years old.
The Norton Volunteer Fire Department in New Brunswick, Canada, is a completely volunteer department handling fire, motor vehicle accident, wildland, and medical calls. The community has no fire hydrants, so firefighters have to draft water to fill trucks which results in large quantities of sand getting into the pumps. The department has 22 volunteer firefighters and 24 sets of gear – but 16 sets are more than 10 years old. Much of the existing gear has been passed down from member to member.
Globe has announced that it will give away the remainder of its 52 sets of gear through the rest of 2016. Updates regarding the Globe Gear Giveaway can be found on the official Globe Facebook page.