Local Country Financial Agents Benefit Fire Department

(PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT: FINANCIAL REPRESENTATIVES TAMMY DOUTHIT, SCOTT MOSHER, JAY MIX, NICK PATTON, AND WAYNE DONSBACH; FIRE CHIEF BOB TUTKO; ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF MATT KULESZA; TRAINING OFFICER MATT CARPENTER; FIREFIGHTER LUCAS KROENING; CAPTAIN J.R. NIEMAN; FIREFIGHTER TASHA VERDEYEN; EXECUTIVE SECRETARY JENN ALWARDT)

The Effingham Fire Department has received a $2,500 grant from Effingham area Country Financial agents. 

The donation is an extension of the Operation Helping Heroes Campaign sponsored by Country Financial. Local financial representatives Tammy Douthit, Scott Mosher, Jay Mix, Nick Patton and Wayne Donsbach worked to make the award to the fire department possible.

Fire Chief Bob Tutko said the contribution is "an excellent example of our private sector community partners working together with the public sector organizations--in this case, the fire department--to make funding sources available for the purchase of needed equipment."

The funds will allow the fire department to purchase a personal-sized thermal imaging camera for one of the "first-in" engine companies, and the purchase of a new portable radio for the same apparatus. Fire officials say their portable radios are nearly 12 years old, so a replacement plan needs to be in place.