South Jersey Gas and Elizabethtown Gas have both announced the recipients of the company’s annual First Responders Grant Program. This year, 18 grants totaling nearly $80,000 were awarded to local first responder departments.
“We recognize the vital role first responders play in our communities, providing critical emergency planning and response services for natural disasters and emergencies,” Brent Schomber, president and chief operating officer, South Jersey Gas, and Christie McMullen, president and chief operating officer, Elizabethtown Gas, said. “These grants are a token of our appreciation for their tremendous dedication, and we are proud to support the invaluable work they do to keep our customers and communities safe.”
The 2023 First Responders Grant Program recipient departments include:
- Avenel Fire Department;
- Cedarville Fire Company #1;
- Elizabeth Police Department and Fire Department;
- Fairmount Fire Company #1;
- Flemington-Raritan First Aid & Rescue Squad;
- Frankford Township Fire Department;
- Galloway Office of Emergency Management;
- Glassboro Police Department;
- Hammonton Independent Volunteer Fire Company #2;
- Hopewell Township Fire District #1;
- Lakeland Emergency Squad;
- Lebanon Township Fire Department;
- Tabernacle Rescue Squad;
- Somerdale Fire Department;
- Wildwood Fire Department;
- Washington Fire Company #3;
- Winfield Fire Department Association.
Through the First Responders Grant Program, the utilities provide critical support to help operations, improve safety measures or provide training at local first responder departments. This year, grants were awarded to first responder departments to support the purchase of critical resources, including first-aid and firefighting gear, fire hose equipment, gas leak detectors and other protective equipment. With applications from first responder departments that serve municipalities across the utility’s service area, the utilities conduct a thorough and competitive selection process to determine the grant recipients.
“The grant funds that we have received not only aid us in achieving our current objectives of serving the youth in our community but also offer us the chance to expand our horizons and aim higher. We are extremely grateful to South Jersey Gas for selecting us this year,” Chief John Polillo of the Glassboro Police Department said.
The First Responders Grant Program will be offered again in Fall 2024. Program information is available here.
“We are immensely grateful to Elizabethtown Gas for their unwavering support of our police and fire departments,” J. Christian Bollwage, mayor of Elizabeth, said. “This grant is a crucial investment in the safety of our community. Specifically, these funds will be utilized to acquire gas meters, empowering our first responders to efficiently and accurately handle potential gas-related incidents. The new equipment will not only bolster our emergency response capabilities, but also significantly contribute to the safety of our residents.”
