Peabody, MA - A Massachusetts fire department became one of the nation's first fire departments to be awarded funds from a competitive national grant program sponsored by TUMS(r) and the First Responder Institute, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing assistance to emergency personnel nationwide. The Peabody Fire Department, one of five departments selected in the country, received $10,000 from the TUMS grant-in-aid program and leveraged the award to obtain more than $40,000 in matching funds from local businesses. The funding enabled the department to purchase an advanced air system that will provide breathing air to its technical rescue team in trench and confined space rescue situations.
The national grant program was established in January 2003 through the "TUMS Helps Put Out More Fires Than You Think" campaign.The cause-related campaign, donated $0.10 to the First Responder Institute for each TUMS bottle purchased, up to $200,000, to help fire departments sorely in need of new equipment. Interested fire departments are invited to apply for additional grants.Other first quarter winners were located in Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Indiana and Georgia.
"This fire department is just one of many across the country struggling with budget cuts and a lack of up-to-date equipment," said Traci Plate, TUMS promotions manager, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare and member of the FRI board of directors.
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