ILLINOIS, April 6 - Springfield, Ill- The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) announced today the recipients of the 2022 Small Equipment Grant Program. A total of $2.5 million was awarded to 104 fire departments/districts and EMS providers across the state. The program was established to provide grants of up to $26,000 each for the purchase of small firefighting and ambulance equipment.

"All communities deserve safety, and this program helps ensure our smaller and rural fire districts aren't left behind when it comes to the tools they need to do their jobs," said Governor JB Pritzker. "I'm proud to be able to provide more than 100 districts with new lifesaving equipment. It's another way we can demonstrate our gratitude for all that they do to help their neighbors live safely." 

This program is an innovative approach to a problem that has long caused difficulties for fire departments and not-for profit ambulance services in Illinois, particularly those that have hardships in generating the necessary revenue for small equipment. The purpose is to allow eligible applicants the opportunity to purchase small equipment that they may otherwise not be able to purchase. The OSFM received 373 applications, requesting around $8.4 million in funding for this grant period.

"Funding provided from our Small Equipment Grant Program is a huge benefit, especially to our rural volunteer departments in the state. These funds allow departments to purchase important equipment their firefighters/EMT's need to work more effectively and safely while protecting the lives and property of their community members," said Illinois State Fire Marshal Matt Perez. 

"Grant programs, such as the State Fire Marshal's Small Equipment Grant, are vital to rural volunteer departments like ours. These funds allow us to purchase equipment that we might not have been able to afford, allowing our firefighters and EMT's to continue providing the service our community has come to expect," said Bethany Fire Protection District Chief Mike Jennings. By upgrading our SCBA filling station, this will allow us to accommodate our mutual aid departments who we rely on due to staffing shortages." "The Small Equipment Grant Program is one of the best investments the Fire Marshal's Office can offer. It gives a financial incentive to many small fire departments, that struggle with the costs of all the needed equipment each fire department is required to have so they may operate safely," said Carrier Mills Mayor Tracy Felty.

Most Illinois fire departments, fire protections districts, township fire departments, and stand-alone, nonprofit ambulance service providers were eligible to apply. All fire departments, fire protections districts and township fire department applicants were required to have participated in the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) for a minimum of two years prior to applying.

Grant recipients and awards are listed below:

Adams: Loraine Fire Protection District- $26,000 Ursa Fire Protection District- $17,165

Alexander: Tamms Volunteer Fire Department- $26,000

Bond: Mulberry Grove Fire Protection District- $25,645.68

Bureau: Bureau Fire Protection District- $26,000 Cherry Fire Protection District- $22,909.05

Calhoun: North Calhoun Fire Protection District- $25,011

Carroll: Savanna Fire Department- $25,320

Champaign: Ivesdale Fire Protection District- $26,000 Ludlow Fire Protection District- $25,466.28 Pesotum Fire Protection District- $24,722.25 Sadorus Fire Protection District- $26,000

Clark: West Union Community Fire Protection District- $25,888

Clinton: Germantown Rural Fire Protection District- $15,625 Huey Ferrin Boulder Fire Protection District- $26,000 Santa Fe Fire Protection District- $26,000

Coles: Wabash Fire Protection District- $21,539

Cook: Blue Island Fire Department- $25,898 Central Stickney Fire Protection District- $25,750 Rosemont Public Safety- $26,000

Dekalb: Shabbona Community Fire Protection District- $19,546.17

DeWitt: Clinton Fire & Rescue- $24,770

Douglas: Newman Community Fire Protection District- $12,688.02

DuPage: Bensenville Fire Protection District- $26,000 Village of Villa Park- $20,550

Edgar: Chrisman Fire Protection District- $26,000

Effingham: Tri-County Fire Protection District- $25,566

Fayette: St. Peter Fire Protection District- $24,630

Ford: Roberts Melvin Fire Protection District- $26,000

Franklin: City of Zeigler Fire Department- $26,000

Fulton: Farmington Fire Protection District- $26,000 Lewistown Fire Protection District- $26,000

Gallatin: Shawneetown Fire Department- $26,000 Village of Omaha Fire Department- $24,293.52

Greene: Carrolton Fire Protection District- $19,900

Grundy: Mazon Fire Protection District- $25,905 South Wilmington Volunteer Fire Department- $26,000

Henry: Bishop Hill Community Fire Protection District- $19,546.17 Galva Fire Department- $25,100 Kewanee Community Fire Protection District- $26,000

Iroquois: Crescent Iroquois Fire Department- $26,000

Jackson: Dowell Volunteer Fire Department- $26,000

Jefferson: Waltonville Fire Protection District- $25,591.05 Webber Township Fire Protection District- $25,996.87

Kane: Village of Carpentersville Fire Department- $10,056

Kankakee: City of Kankakee Fire Department- $26,000 Salina Township Fire Protection District- $25,412

Knox: East Galesburg Volunteer Fire Department- $25,828 Elba Salem Fire Protection District- $26,000 Maquon Fire Protection District- $16,737.08

LaSalle: Naplate Fire Department- $25,980

LaSalle/Livingston: Reading Township Volunteer Fire Department- $25,820

Lee: Paw Paw Community Fire Protection District- $20,000

Livingston: Dwight EMS- $17,638

Logan: New Holland Fire Protection District- $20,576

Macon: Blue Mound Fire Protection District- $26,000

Macoupin: Staunton Area Ambulance Service- $16,732.48

Madison: Hamel Community Fire Protection District- $22,665.70 Marine Community Fire Protection District- $26,000 Meadowbrook Fire Department- $19,546.16

Marion: Iuka Fire Protection District- $24,310 Odin Fire Protection District- $26,000

Mason: Bath Fire Protection District- $26,000 Easton Rural Fire Protection District- $19,800

Massac: Joppa Fire Department- $26,000 Massac County Fire Protection District- $26,000

McDonough: Industry Fire Protection District- $24,134 New Salem Fire Protection District- $23,475

McLean: Lexington Community Fire Protection District- $25,575

Monroe: Maeystown Rural Fire Protection District- $25,575

Montgomery: Coffeen Fire Protection District- $25,560

Moultrie: Bethany Fire Protection District- $19,000

Ogle: Rochelle Fire Department- $24,000 Stillman Fire Protection District- $25,764

Peoria: Logan-Trivoli Fire Protection District- $12,990

Perry: Tamaroa Fire Protection District- $26,000

Piatt: DeLand Fire Protection District- $26,000 Northern Piatt County Fire Protection District- $16,500

Pike: Baylis Fire Protection District- $23,525 Griggsville Fire Department- $25,372 Hull-Kinderhook Fire Department- $26,000 Spring Creek Fire Protection District- $26,000

Pope: Rural Pope County Fire Protection District- $25,719

Pulaski: Mound City Fire Department- $26,000 Mounds Fire Department- $19,158.41

Putnam: Standard Fire Protection District- $26,000

Randolph: Baldwin Community Fire Protection District- $22,771

Saline: Village of Carrier Mills Fire Department- $26,000

Sangamon: New Berlin-Island Grove Fire Protection District- $25,082

Schuyler: Hickory-Kerton Fire Protection District- $18,526

St. Clair: Church Road Fire Protection District- $25,908.56 Midway Fire Protection District- $26,000 Millstadt Fire Protection District- $26,000 Prairie Du Pont Fire Protection District- $25,825.25 St. Libory Fire Department- $25,100

Tazewell: Armington Community Fire Protection District- $22,850

Union: Alto Pass Fire Protection District- $26,000. Dongola Fire Department- $25,962.36

Wabash: Mt. Carmel Fire Department- $25,160.01

Wayne: Wayne Fire Protection District #1- $21,628.93

White: Village of Crossville- $15,300

Will: Custer Fire Protection District- $25,120 Frankfort Fire Protection District- $24,295 Steger Estates Fire Protection District- $26,000