Illinois Fire Department Receives First 03' Grant Award 

Release Date: June 13, 2003
Release Number: R5-03-03

Photo of Village President Rae Rupp-Srch, Lt. Lou Vicelli, Firefighter Jamie Bickley, Chief Robert Wilson, Regional Director Ed Buikema.
Left to right are Village President Rae Rupp-Srch, Lt. Lou Vicelli, Firefighter Jamie Bickley, Chief Robert Wilson, Regional Director Ed Buikema. 		Photo of Firefighter Bickley (left) demonstrating the SCBA while Lt. Vicelli explains the functions.
Firefighter Bickley (left) demonstrates the SCBA while Lt. Vicelli explains the functions.
Photo of SCBA equipment.
The SCBA equipment is a major part of the firefighter's gear. 		Photo of Regional Director Buikema (right) discussing the fire grant with Chief Wilson.
Regional Director Buikema (right) discusses the fire grant with Chief Wilson.

The Villa Park, Illinois Fire Department received the first Region V Assistance To Firefighters Grant Program awards for 2003, during a press conference Thursday. Regional Director Edward G. Buikema announced the award at the Villa Park Fire Department Headquarters, joined by Village President Rae Rupp-Srch and Fire Chief Robert Wilson. The village will use the $160,000 grant to purchase 37 upgraded Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) units, replacing older, outdated models. "Providing these funds to local fire departments puts the resources and tools into the hands of the community's first responder men and women," said Regional Director Buikema.

Village President Rae Rupp-Srch began the press conference by thanking FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security for the badly needed funds. "We are thrilled and excited to receive the award to provide equipment that our small community with limited resources and a tight budget could not otherwise afford," said President Rupp-Srch. Villa Park is a community of 22,000 people, located twenty miles west of downtown Chicago. The fire department has 24 full-time firefighters, and the village has a combination of resident, commercial, and industrial buildings.

During a demonstration of an SCBA following the press conference, Villa Park Fire Chief Robert Wilson said," Many of today's home furnishings and products are made of materials that burn quickly and produce toxic smoke. The SCBA protects the firefighter from these harmful fumes." Chief Wilson added, " Next to hoses, the SCBA is probably the most important piece of equipment we use to fight fires."

Last Modified: Friday, 13-Jun-2003 15:03:46