Globe, in partnership with DuPont Protection Technologies (DuPont) and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has made the first award in the 2014 Globe Gear Giveaway program. Highlands Fire Department will receive four sets of new, state-of-the-art Globe turnout gear.
Through the 2014 Globe Gear Giveaway program, Globe and DuPont are providing a total of 52 sets of turnout gear to volunteer fire departments in need. The program is administered through the NVFC and open to NVFC members in the U.S. and Canada. This is the third year for the giveaway program.
“We are very pleased to announce the first three winners of the 2014 Globe Gear Giveaway,” said NVFC Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg. “We received over 500 applications for gear, demonstrating the real need that exists for this type of program. Many departments are struggling to provide gear to their members and often have to make do with gear that is old, non-compliant, ill-fitting, and otherwise inadequate, putting the safety of the firefighters at risk. Thank you to Globe and DuPont for recognizing this need and supporting our nation’s volunteer fire departments through this remarkable donation initiative.” To be eligible to apply for the four sets of new Globe gear, departments had to be all-volunteer or mostly-volunteer, serve a population of 25,000 or less, be legally organized in the U.S. or Canada, demonstrate a need for the gear, and be a member of the NVFC. To help departments meet this last requirement, Globe sponsored NVFC Department Memberships for the first 200 non-members to apply.
The Highlands Fire Department is comprised of 50 volunteer firefighters who respond to an average of 170 calls per year. When Hurricane Sandy hit on October 29, 2012, the department was inundated by about 15” of water due to the storm surge. The small town of Highlands was under 8-10 feet of water, and the firefighters rescued over 90 people that were stranded in their flooded houses. In the days following the storm, the firefighters supplied food, water, cleaning materials, life safety for power restoration, and set-up of a temporary borough hall, police station, and first aid squad, putting their own flooded houses on hold until the needs of the community were met.
Despite their best efforts to secure equipment and supplies before Sandy hit, the Highlands Fire Department still lost crucial equipment in the storm. The unexpected costs created by Sandy has left the department struggling to fulfill their normal operating expenses, including replacing outdated gear. The donation of the four sets of new Globe gear will enable the department to keep more firefighters in compliant gear while they focus their limited funds on other expenses created by Sandy.
Additional awards through the Globe Gear Giveaway Program will be made monthly throughout 2014. A total of 52 sets of gear will be distributed to departments in need. Stay tuned to the NVFC web site, Dispatch newsletter, and page on Facebook, as well as the Globe page on Facebook, for additional information and announcements regarding the Globe Gear Giveaway Program.
