Norris group raising funds to buy protective equipment for NFD
About two-thirds of the $6,500 goal has been reached in efforts by the Norris Volunteer Fire Department to pay for protective gear for firefighters to wear when responding to outdoor fire calls, such as forest and brush fires.
According to the fundraising plea, “the multipurpose PPE [personal protective equipment] will allow the firefighters to respond to a variety of calls for service while being protected from cuts, scrapes, and blood-borne pathogen contaminates.
“It will also provide high-visibility awareness when working in wooded areas, such as the Norris Watershed, or along busy roadways. Additionally, this gear will allow the Norris firefighters to preserve their much more expensive structural firefighting gear for its intended purpose while still being properly outfitted for non-structure calls, such as brush fires, downed trees, hiking trail extractions, medical calls and assists, and more.”
The fundraising effort is being led by the group Citizens in Support of Norris Police and Fire, and all money collected will go to the Fire Department for the equipment, said city Councilman Will Grinder, who is also associated with the support group.
About $5,100 had already been raised as of Monday.
Norris City Manger Adam Ledford said the Fire Department has never asked the city to pay for the special gear, but that he understood that the department had approached the city’s Norris Watershed Board to raise the funds, but was unuccessful.
If the City Council had asked for the money, it probably would have been approved in the city’s regular budget, Grinder said.
But, “The need was brought up after the budget was passed,” he said. The Fire Depsrtment saw the need for more PPE. They really do need it.”
Donations may be sent by check to Citizens in Support of Norris
Police and Fire, with “NVFD Wildland Gear” in the memo line, to P.O. Box 1009, Norris, TN 37828, Grinder said.
