WHITEWATER 鈥 The We Energies Foundation ($2,000) and Alliant Energy ($500) granted funds to Whitewater Fire & Emergency Medical Services for acquiring new gas detection equipment.
The grants will be used to acquire a Sensit LZ30 Remote Gas Detector, which will allow firefighters to detect and assess gas leaks from a greater distance.
鈥淚t can detect (gas leaks) from up to 100 feet away. The new meter will be able to detect gas through windows,鈥 said Whitewater Fire & EMS Chief Kelly Freeman. 鈥淚f we get a call for a gas investigation on a home, we can start our initial size up as we鈥檙e walking up to the residents and see if we get a reading for explosive levels inside the home, from a distance away.鈥
The detector is valued at approximately $14,442.
Whitewater Fire & EMS received more proceeds through their annual pancake breakfast on Sunday.
鈥淚鈥檓 estimating we served about 600 people,鈥 said Freeman. 鈥淚t was very successful and we鈥檙e very close to reaching the full total for the new gas meter.鈥
A third grant may be accepted, which would provide enough to pay for the new equipment. If the department doesn鈥檛 receive the third grant, it will pull funds from elsewhere.
鈥淚f we鈥檙e not successful with (the third grant) then we鈥檒l probably just look for some budget line items out of an equipment replacement fund or whatever to cover the balance, but it shouldn鈥檛 be all that much,鈥 said Freeman.