Illinois American Water awards approximately $70,200 through Firefighter Grant program

[June 14, 2012]  BELLEVILLE -- Approximately $70,200 will be awarded to 65 fire departments across the state through Illinois American Water’s 2012 Firefighter Grant program. Lincoln Fire Department and Lincoln Rural Fire Protection District are among the grant recipients.

The program was created in 2010 to provide financial assistance to fire and emergency organizations serving customers in Illinois American Water’s service area. The program has resulted in 148 grants totaling approximately $173,000 awarded across the state.

"We are committed to supporting our local fire departments," said Karla Olson Teasley, president of Illinois American Water. "This program enables us to further support fire protection in the communities we serve and partner with our local firefighters."

The program awards grants up to $1,500 to provide personal protective gear, communications equipment, firefighting tools, water handling equipment, training materials and classroom programs.

Illinois American Water is presenting grants to the following Illinois fire departments:

Northern Illinois:

• Des Plaines Fire Department

• Elgin Fire Department

• Elmhurst Fire Department

• Homer Township Fire Protection District

• Lemont Fire Protection District

• Morris Fire Protection District

• Mount Prospect Fire Department

• Northwest Homer Fire Protection District

• Orland Fire Protection District

• Oswego Fire Protection District

• Plainfield Fire Protection District

• Prospect Heights Fire Protection District

• South Beloit Fire and Rescue

• Sterling Fire Department

• Streator Fire Department

• Dana Fire Protection District

• Grand Ridge Volunteer Fire Department Inc.

• Long Point Community Volunteer Fire Protection District

• Reading Volunteer Fire Department

Central Illinois:

• Edge-Scott Fire Protection District

• St. Joseph--Stanton Fire Protection District

• Tolono Fire Protection District

• Urbana Fire Rescue Services

• Tuscola Fire Department

• Lincoln Fire Department

• Lincoln Rural Fire Protection District

• Cincinnati Fire Protection District

• Pekin Fire Department

• Dunlap Fire Protection District

• Limestone Township Fire Protection

• Logan-Trivoli Fire Protection District

• Tuscarora Fire Department

• Peoria Fire Department

• West Peoria Fire Protection District

• Pontiac Fire & Rescue

• Saunemin Fire Protection District

Southern Illinois:

• Alton Fire Department

• Godfrey Fire Protection District

• QEM Fire Protection District

• Holiday Shores Fire Department

• Cairo Fire Department

• Cairo Auxiliary Fire Department

• Belleville Fire Department

• Columbia Fire Protection District

• Church Road Fire Protection District

• East St. Louis Fire Department

• East Side Fire Protection District

• Fairmont City Fire Department

• Fairview Caseyville Township FP District

• French Village Fire Department

• Granite City Fire Department

• Hamel Community Volunteer Fire Protection District

• Long Lake Volunteer Fire Department

• Madison Fire Department

• Mascoutah Fire Department

• Millstadt Union FD/Millstadt FPD

• Mitchell Fire Department

• Northwest St Clair County Fire Protection District

• O'Fallon Fire Department

• Sauget Fire Department

• Signal Hill Fire Department

• St. Louis Downtown Airport Fire Department

• Swansea Fire Department

• Villa Hills Volunteer Fire Department

• Waterloo Fire Department

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Illinois American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality, reliable water or wastewater services to more than 1.2 million people. American Water also operates a customer service center in Alton and a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville.

[Text from file received from Illinois American Water]