ALTON - Alton Mayor David Goins said Tuesday he is excited to announce the Edwardsville Community Foundation (ECF) awarded nearly $100,000 to the City of Alton in annual grants.
Alton Fire Chief Jesse Jemison and the Alton Fire Department said the Edwardsville Community Foundation (ECF) has awarded $36,922 toward the purchase of new rescue equipment.
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“Kuddos to Chief Jemison and Battalion Chief Tom House for leadership and diligence in securing the grant. It is so wonderful for the fire department to purchase disaster readiness equipment," Mayor Goins said.
The Alton Fire Department requested new extrication equipment that can be used for auto extrication, structural collapse, breaching, and stabilization incidents.
“We will now be able to purchase new battery-powered Genesis NEXGEN spreaders, cutters, and rams. This equipment will match our existing complement of tools which will streamline our response preparedness for future rescue incidents," said Chief Jemison.
A $63,000 grant has been awarded to enable the Alton Public Works Department to buy needed disaster equipment. Mobile generators with light bars, cooling vests, shovels, power saws, rain gear, and pry bars will be purchased.
“Director Parsons along with his staff Amy Cox and Melissa Witcher helped the City of Alton Public Works Department secure a $63,000 grant," Mayor Goins said.
Alton Public Works Director Mike Parsons added: "The beautiful part is not putting a burden on our General Funds. The department will buy three mobile generators with high-intensity lighting allowing work in areas that are experiencing power outages due to storms. The equipment will allow city workers to more effectively do their job during an active disaster as well as the cleanup."
The City of Alton is required with the grant to have a 10% match for the total final project cost.
The ECF was established in 1997 by a group of local business and community leaders. They founded the Edwardsville Community Foundation to create an organization where people could donate money that would directly impact the quality of life in the local communities. The Edwardsville Community Foundation recently awarded nearly $1.7 million in relief grants to individuals, businesses, and municipalities in Madison County after the deadly tornado in December 2021. These relief grants represent an unprecedented amount dispersed by ECF in the foundation’s 25 years of existence.
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