Does your department need gear? The application period is now open for MSA’s Globe Gear Giveaway program! Brought to you by MSA, DuPont, and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), the 2020 program will equip 13 volunteer fire departments with four new sets of state-of-the-art turnout gear and four new helmets to enhance their firefighters’ safety.
Since the program began in 2012, 507 sets of turnout gear have been awarded to 108 departments, for a total of over $1 million worth of life-saving personal protective equipment. MSA donated four helmets to each winning department for the first time in 2019 and will continue to do so in 2020 to help provide full ensemble protection.
“Protecting firefighters is what we do at MSA,” said Eleni Lucido, vice president and general manager of MSA’s business in the U.S. and Canada. “For more than a century, we’ve been committed to providing workers all around the world with the equipment they need to help keep them safe. We’re proud to partner with the NVFC to provide state-of-the-art turnout gear to departments in need.”
“Volunteer fire departments often struggle to fund the resources and equipment necessary to do their jobs safely and effectively,” said NVFC chair Steve Hirsch. “We are grateful for the generosity of MSA, Globe, and DuPont in providing critical, lifesaving gear to the dedicated volunteers who serve their local communities. Through this incredible program, we have been able to increase the safety and protection for hundreds of firefighters throughout the U.S. and Canada.”
“DuPont is driven by the passion to protect those who protect us as volunteer firefighters put their lives on the line each day to protect our cities and towns, and we are honored to partner with MSA and NVFC to help ensure their safety,” said John Richard, vice president and general manager for DuPont Safety. “With the increase in wildfires over recent years, firefighter safety has never been more important. We are proud to provide firefighting teams with the latest personal protective equipment to build confidence in their safety when battling the next blaze.”
To be eligible to apply, departments must be over 50 percent volunteer, serve a population of 25,000 or less, be located in the U.S. or Canada, demonstrate significant need for new gear, and the person applying or the department chief must be a member of the NVFC. MSA will provide complimentary NVFC memberships to the first 500 applicants to help departments meet the membership requirement.
Learn more and apply by June 1 at www.nvfc.org/globe-gear-giveaway. Winners will be announced monthly between July and December. Stay tuned to the NVFC web site and Dispatch newsletter for details.