Local fire dept. receives $110,000 donation
JEFFERSON – A local energy company handed over a $110,000 donation on Dec. 30, helping to make the Jefferson Volunteer Fire Department’s dream to purchase a new, much-needed $500,000 fire truck a reality.
EQT provided the donation through the EQT Foundation, said Jim Crockard, an EQT senior vice president of business development. Crockard said the Foundation provides $3 million in grants every year in the communities where the company drills. He added that EQT has Marcellus Shale gas wells in the Jefferson area.
According to an EQT press release, the company is the largest natural gas producer in the Appalachian Basin and one of the largest in the country. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, the company operates in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia and Kentucky.
While giving back to the local communities is important for EQT, giving back to communities in Greene County hits home for Crockard, who is a graduate of Carmichaels Area High School. He added that along with delivering the check, he will be visiting family in the area.
Alan “Rip” Jenkins, president and 43-year member of the Jefferson Fire Department, said the donation has been a “Godsend.”
“It’s just unbelievable,” Jenkins said. “We sent letters out (in July) to different organizations asking for help, and we got it.”
The $500,000 fire truck will be nothing fancy, said Travis Moore, who has been a volunteer firefighter for four years. He added that some fire trucks might cost $1 million or more. He said that the fire department has been fundraising and using proceeds from the RV Park located behind the fire station to raise money for the new fire truck. Jenkins said the fire department sold its old truck because it did not meet current safety regulations. The fire department currently only has one truck.
Jenkins said the $500,000 will be paid for through the $125,000 in funds raised by the fire department, which was used as a down payment; the $110,000 EQT donation; a $150,000 low-interest state loan; and a $115,000 loan through Kansas State Bank.
Moore added that it is important to realize that not only is the fire truck expensive, it costs more than $7,000 to properly outfit a firefighter. For instance, the coat and pants cost $2,800. While the fire department does generate revenue through its RV Park, which Jenkins and Moore said has been successful, the fire department still relies on fundraising and donations to meet costs.