Industry news News
Gas company funds volunteer firefighters for FPW

Oct. 3, 2014, Chatham, Ont. – On the advent of Fire Prevention Week, an Ontario-based natural gas company has teamed up with the Ontario Office of the Fire Marshal to donate training funds and prevention equipment to volunteer fire departments.

Union Gas announced Friday its partnership with the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council to distribute $40,000 to seven Ontario volunteer departments – chosen by a random draw of the applications received by Union Gas.

North Middlesex Fire Department is one of the volunteer forces to receive Project Assist’s $5,000 credit for firefighter training materials.

“The timing of the Project Assist grant is perfect as it will help the North Middlesex Fire Department’s training program to transition from Ontario Fire Service Standards to National Fire Protection Association Standards,” Scott Jones, interim fire chief of North Middlesex Fire Department, said in a press release.

This is the third year the council is running Project Assist, and the second year it teamed up with Union Gas.

“Having access to up-to-date training materials is crucial to firefighter health and safety,” Ontario Fire Marshal Ted Wieclawek, chair of the council, said in the release. “Thanks to Union Gas, Project Assist can continue to help fire service personnel get the training materials they need to handle dangerous and unpredictable situations.”

The gas company is also partnering with the council in Project Zero, with the goal of distributing 175 combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to five departments in Ontario.