ARLEE - Volunteer firefighters in Arlee are about to become much safer while responding to calls through a new grant from the Montana State Elks Association.
The mission of the Order of the Elks volunteers is to provide grants to rural and volunteer fire departments so they can purchase needed equipment and provide necessary training.
That mission was fulfilled on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, when the association gifted the Arlee Volunteer Fire Department a $1,500 grant.
Comparatively, smaller departments like Arlee do not have nearly as much gear or the resources that bigger city departments do so donations like these are extremely helpful.
Arlee Volunteer Fire Chief Charles Headley says this money will go towards HAZMAT materials which are necessary for cleaning up spills and crashes and a re-calibration kit for gas detectors.
"There's spills and things that happen and we need and use a lot of absorbent in car accidents and things like that and it's expensive. Some of the time, we're only able to buy a few [absorbents] and then we use them all on one scene," Chief Headley explains. "Then, it'd be a couple months before we're able to have enough money [to buy more]. So, it's really instrumental to us to be able to get those kinds of materials."
The Arlee Volunteer Fire Department is also in the process of getting a new ambulance which will be undeniably useful in supporting the department's EMS work.
