The Elba Volunteer Fire Department recently received a nearly $25,000 grant from Firehouse Subs to purchase new equipment used to safely and efficiently extricate victims involved in vehicle accidents.
Enterprise Firehouse Subs Franchisee Derick Thomas presented the check for $24,445 to EVFD Chief Drew Parker at the restaurant June 7.
“I’m thankful to be a part of a restaurant that’s not only just a restaurant but has a Public Safety Foundation that leads to stuff like this happening all over the country,” Thomas said.
Chief Parker thanked Thomas and Firehouse Subs for the grant, which the department also received 12 years ago.
“That equipment is still carried on the fire truck that’s out here with us today,” Parker said. “There’s no telling how many lives those tools have touched over the past 12 years.”
Although these tools have proved themselves valuable, changes in vehicle technology over the years have made them less effective, Parker said.
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“These new tools are much more efficient and will help us do our job a lot more efficiently and a lot safer,” Parker said. “This is the newest and greatest technology that’s out there and I hope it will last at least another 12 years, maybe more… I would prefer if we never had to use it, but unfortunately that’s not the reality and wrecks happen every day. This is going to better equip us for when those accidents do happen.”
To date, Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation has granted over $3.1 million to first responder organizations across Alabama and $221,000 in greater Dothan.
