The Taylorville Fire Department has received a grant from the Leary Firefighters Foundation to purchase a new firefighting skid unit for one of its all-terrain vehicles.
The equipment is designed to provide firefighting capabilities while also allowing firefighters to transport injured people from areas that are difficult for traditional emergency vehicles to reach.
According to the department, the new skid unit includes firefighting equipment and a designated area for transporting patients. It will allow crews to respond to emergencies in wooded areas, agricultural fields, recreational trails and other locations where access can be challenging.
The department says the equipment represents an investment of approximately $7,000 and will improve both firefighter and public safety.
The Taylorville Fire Department expressed its appreciation to the Leary Firefighters Foundation for providing the grant, noting that funding opportunities like this help smaller departments obtain specialized equipment that may otherwise be difficult to purchase through traditional budgets.
The Leary Firefighters Foundation was established in 2000 by actor Denis Leary following a 1999 fire in Worcester, Massachusetts, that claimed the lives of six firefighters, including Leary’s cousin and a childhood friend.
The foundation provides grants to fire departments to help purchase equipment and improve firefighter safety.
More information about the foundation is available at learyfirefighters.org.
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