The nonprofit Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation recently awarded the Sevierville Fire Department (SFD) a $29,825 grant for the purchase of lifesaving equipment, the City of Sevierville announced in a press release.
The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation donates lifesaving equipment and resources – including prevention education, scholarships and continued education, disaster relief and military support – to first responders and public safety organizations through a quarterly grant program.
“On behalf of the Sevierville Fire Department (SFD) and its members, I want to thank the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation and our local Firehouse Subs in Sevierville,” SFD Chief Matt Henderson said in a statement. “We take great pride in providing lifesaving support to our community and these funds will allow us to advance our abilities.”
The SFD said it used the grant funds to purchase a set of battery-operated extrication tools (cutter & spreader), “fulfilling a critical need within the department.”
The new tools, according to the SFD, will be used to “extricate victims involved in vehicle accidents, as well as make rescues in small spaces.”
“Having the necessary equipment on hand at the right time can make all the difference,” the department adds.
The grant awarded to the SFD is part of more than $77 million given by the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation in its effort to support safety across the country.
The nonprofit was founded in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina by Firehouse Subs founders Chris Sorensen and Robin Sorensen.
“Firehouse Subs founders, Chris Sorensen and Robin Sorensen, traveled to Mississippi where they fed first responders as well as survivors. As they traveled back to Florida exhausted and exhilarated, they knew we could do more and the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation was born,” the nonprofit writes on its website.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
