The Moline Fire Department receives a grant for their volunteer firefighters.

 

Moline is one of 24 departments in Kansas that were awarded funding through the Kansas Volunteer Firefighter Grant Program administered through the Kansas State Fire Marshal's Office. The Moline Fire Department was awarded four sets of Personal Protection Equipment. One set of the life-saving equipment can cost as much as $16,000.

 

The grant was made possible by legislation passed by the Kansas Legislature and signed by Governor Laura Kelly.

 

State Fire Marshal Mark Engholm stated that Volunteer fire departments face equipment challenges because they do not have the funding to provide adequate safety equipment. Without new equipment provided by the recruiting fire department, potential volunteers are faced with not only donating their time but also providing their own safety gear, sharing gear with others, or doing without. He called having proper gear crucial for a firefighter's health and well-being.