OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The Wisconsin Public Service Foundation is thanking the men and women who keep their communities safe.
“They’re working to improve public safety, not only for the members of their community, but for anyone who’s here in the area, and certainly we want to support that mission,” said media relations for WPS Matt Cullen.
Tuesday’s stop on a week-long tour was Oshkosh Fire.
What started as a training to learn more about rescue saws, ended with the department receiving three brand new ones.
Oshkosh Fire Department training chief Tim Heiman says he and the entire department are very excited to add the much-needed pieces of equipment to their collection.
“It’s always nice to get new tools, especially things that we use, you know, frequently,” he said.
Firefighters wasted no time breaking those new tools in.
Heiman says these rescue saws are used on the job more often than you may think.
“Really, on anything from a house fire to a vehicle accident, to a lockout; we’re able to utilize this type of equipment,” he explained.
The gifts are part of the WPS Foundation’s Rewarding Responders Grant.
It’s a $2,000 grant the department applied for to improve safety.
“It was a really nice way to be able to not only let them know that they had received it, but also present them with the equipment, as well,” Cullen said.
Heiman says the gifts couldn’t have come at a better time for Oshkosh Fire.
“Some of our equipment, as you could see, was definitely in need of replacement, but I know the replacement value is significant, so for us to be able to replace three at one time is definitely beneficial,” said Heiman.
The Oshkosh Fire Department is just one of 27 surprise visits this year by WPS.
All recipients will be revealed Friday, at the end of Rewarding Responders Week.
The WPS Foundation is awarding $50,000 through this year’s grant program to agencies in northeast and north central Wisconsin.
