SPRINGFIELD - The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) today announced the recipients of the one-time Illinois Fire Department COVID-19 Relief Grant. A total of 36 Illinois Fire Departments will receive over $316,000 thousand dollars in funding. Under this one-time grant opportunity, eligible Illinois fire departments could receive up to $15,000 in order to make up for lost donation revenues stemming from their inability to host local fundraising events during the periods of quarantines in 2020. These fundraising events include pancake breakfasts and spaghetti dinners, and pay for necessities like fuel for fire trucks, utilities, and insurance.
“Firefighters bravely put their lives on the line to protect their neighbors and broader community. Throughout COVID-19, fire departments across the state continued to answer calls for assistance and provide critical frontline support in the fight against the virus,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I’m pleased to announce $316,000 in funding has been allocated to fire departments across the state whose fiscal operations were hindered by COVID-19. With these grants, our brave firefighters will once again have access to the critical tools they need.”
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“The COVID-19 pandemic has hit fire department budgets hard, especially rural volunteer departments who depend mainly on fundraising activities to pay for essential operational needs,” said Illinois State Fire Marshal Matt Perez. “The funds provided to departments will help to keep the lights on and fuel in the trucks so they can respond safely and effectively to help their community members during an emergency.”
The OSFM collaborated with the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association (IFCA) who helped assemble a special committee to review the grant applications utilizing a blind review needs-based analysis. This grant is financed through the Illinois Fire Prevention Fund, a non-general revenue fund that is supported primarily by a 1% assessment of the gross fire risk premium receipts of all insurance companies operating in the state.
“This was a great partnership between the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association (IFCA) and the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal,” said IFCA Executive Director Jim Grady. “We heard from volunteer departments throughout the state about their loss of revenues due to their inability to host fundraisers during the pandemic. This grant has provided assistance to help them recover funds, and if not for these funds, departments would have had to make very difficult decision or not be able to respond to calls.”
“In a year full of what if's, uncertainties and cancellations, it is a feeling of accomplishment to be able to partner with the Office of the State Fire Marshal in the grant program to provide some financial assistance to volunteer departments in the state,” said Illinois Fire Chiefs Association President Don Shoevlin.“I also would like to thank our VCOC committee for the work they did on the front end of the project to get it off the ground.”
A full list of grant recipients and awards can be found below:
St. Clair:
St. Libory Volunteer Fire Company: $15,000
Camp Jackson Fire Department: $1,586
Fairmont City Fire Department: $8,540
Lebanon-Emerald Mound Fire Department: $15,000
Madison:
Worden Fire Protection District: $11,164
Clinton:
Wheatfield Fire Protection District: $8,760
Beckemeyer-Wade Fire Protection District: $15,000
Hoffman Fire Protection District: $2,904
Germantown Rural Fire Protection District: $15,000
Fayette:
Brownstown Fire Protection District: $9,655
Montgomery:
Witt Volunteer Fire Department: $15,000
Pike:
Hull-Kinderhook Fire Department: $7,600
Randolph:
Prairie du Rocher Community Fire Department: $15,000
Tilden Fire Department: $7,160
Adams:
Clayton Fire Protection District: $7,952
Ursa Fire Protection District: $1,939
Loraine Fire Protection District: $8,300
Bureau:
Cherry Fire Protection District: $6,392
Coles:
Wabash Fire Protection District: $13,936
Franklin:
Coello Volunteer Fire Department: $10,651
Ziegler Fire Department: $9,028
Fulton:
Smithfield Fire Protection District: $13,150
Gallatin:
Shawneetown Fire Department: $11,030
Jackson:
Dowell Fire Department: $10,586
Vergennes Fire Department: $910
Jo Daviess:
Apple River Fire Protection District: $12,686
Marion:
Odin Fire Protection District: $10,049
Mason:
Havana Rural Fire Protection District: $4,476
McDonough:
New Salem Fire Protection District: $2,421
Emmet-Chalmers Fire Protection District: $11,355
Perry:
Pickneyville Fire Department: $4,388
Pulaski:
Olmstead Fire Department: $6,451
Tazewell:
Marquette Heights Fire Department: $10,773
Union:
Ware/Wolf Lake Fire Protection District: $1,976
White:
Little Wabash Fire Protection District: $3,986
Williamson:
Hurst Fire Department: $6,260
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