SWOYERSVILLE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Pennsylvania American Water is helping those who help others with its Annual Firefighting Support Grant Program. The grant was awarded to nearly 200 fire departments across the commonwealth.
In 2023, The grant was distributed during Fire Prevention Week. Fire departments received 500-dollar grants to purchase things, like life-saving equipment and emergency gear.
According to Pennsylvania American Water’s vice president, they’ve been doing the program for nearly 25 years.
This funding is especially helpful to volunteer fire departments.
“This day in age in the volunteer organizations, funding is very very difficult. Everybody used to do all of the fundraisers and bingos and everything like that. The more we go on in time the tougher that becomes for a volunteer organization. So these grants are very helpful to offset the costs of this very necessary equipment,” said Swoyersville Volunteer Fire Department Fighterfighter EMT Lee Hampton.
The grants were distributed across the entire state and in our area. They were awarded to departments in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Northumberland, and Schuylkill counties.
