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MILWAUKEE -- Several area agencies will get a portion of $150,000 awarded by the We Energies Foundation to help police, fire and emergency medical services across Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula.
The $150,000, up from $100,000 in 2025, is the largest donation ever made as part of the foundation's Rewarding Responders Grant program.
The agencies use the grants for equipment and training. This year's grants will help them receive critical tools such as flashlights and fire helmets to automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, and thermal imaging cameras, the foundation states in a news release.
While no individual award amounts were provided, the program allows eligible agencies to apply for up to $2,000 in grant funding, according to the foundation.
Grant recipients in the region include --
-- Amasa Fire Department, for a thermal imaging camera and turnout gear;
-- Caspian Gaastra Fire Department, for a thermal imaging camera;
-- City of Crystal Falls Police Department, for radios;
-- Crystal Falls Township Fire Department, for a thermal imaging camera;
-- Faithorn Township, for a personal alert safety system;
-- Kingsford Public Safety Department, for an AED;
-- Norway City Police Department, for a Taser and rifle optics; and
-- STAR Ambulance, for radios.
"We are honored to support the everyday heroes in our communities and their relentless dedication to keeping everyone safe," Beth Straka, president of the We Energies Foundation, said in a news release. "These grants mean more than just new equipment or one-time training sessions. Their true impact is felt when seconds are saved, damage is prevented and people's lives return to normal because first responders had the tools they needed to prevent serious harm."
Including this year's grants, the We Energies Foundation has now donated more than $650,000 to first responders since the program began in 2020.