WPS Foundation providing lifesaving equipment to first responders through Rewarding Responders Grant
The Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) Foundation is putting important new tools in the hands of the men and women who keep our communities safe. WPS Foundation is awarding $75,000 to help more than 40 area public safety agencies purchase lifesaving equipment.
The funding is part of the WPS Foundation’s Rewarding Responders Grant program, which supports first responders across northeast and north central Wisconsin.
“We are honored to support the brave individuals who work tirelessly to keep our neighborhoods safe, secure and welcoming,” said Beth Straka, President of the WPS Foundation. “From helping children safely get to school to providing critical medical care, these grants give first responders the invaluable tools they need to serve our communities.”
Including this year’s grants, the WPS Foundation has awarded more than $600,000 to help police, fire, and emergency medical services agencies strengthen public safety in their communities.
Helping everyday heroes make a lasting impact
The Rewarding Responders Grant is part of the ongoing commitment of WPS to safety for its employees and communities. The program’s grants help local first responders purchase critical equipment or training that allows their members to improve public safety.
From our readership area, this year’s grant recipients include the Hamburg Fire Department, which is using its grant to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) pants. Jen Borchardt, EMS Training Officer and EMS Grant Writer for the Hamburg Fire Department, wrote the WPS grant requesting $1,800 to cover the cost of “reversible” safety PPE pants. “The PPE pants will complete our “gear” that we use for responding for motor vehicle accidents, search and rescue, or any other incident that may require such attire,” Borchardt said.
“Our department is volunteer, so we rely on community support along with grants to assist us in covering the costs of new equipment and gear so that we are able to keep ourselves safe, as well as the community members we are called to provide care to,” she said.
Grant recipients
The 2024 grant recipients from central Wisconsin include:
- Antigo Police Department — Fire suppression tool
- Bevent First Responders — AED
- Hamburg Volunteer Fire Department — Safety clothing for firefighters
- Hatley Area Fire and Ambulance District — Patient transport unit for rugged terrain
- Kronenwetter Police Department — New batteries and electrode pads for AEDs
- Marathon County Sheriff’s Office — Explosive device protection and safety glasses
- Mosinee Fire District — Gas detector
- Plover Police Department — Portable fire suppression tools
- Ringle Fire Department — Air lift bags
- Stockton Fire Department — Emergency alert pagers
- Town of Hewitt Volunteer Fire Department — New firefighting hose
- Waupaca Area Fire District — Gas detector
- Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office — Water rescue dry suit
Legacy of supporting public safety efforts
The WPS Foundation offers its Rewarding Responders Grant annually as part of its longstanding support of public safety efforts. Since the program began, the grants have helped 211 individual agencies acquire lifesaving equipment or vital training to enhance safety in their communities.
Eligible emergency response agencies can apply for up to $2,000 in funding through the grant program. Agencies may receive a grant if they:
- Operate in the WPS service area.
- Did not receive a grant during the previous year.
- Complete an online grant application.
Demonstrate the equipment or training they will acquire is part of a well-planned effort to improve public safety. Grants also may be put toward unique, safety-related projects that are one-time efforts.