Wright City

Wright City Fire Protection District receives $9,500 grant from Norfolk Southern Railroad

By Jack Underwood, Staff Writer
Posted 9/12/24

The Wright City Fire Protection District received a $9,500 “Safety First” grant from the Norfolk Southern Railroad which went towards purchasing a new Kawasaki side-by-side for Station 3, located on State Highway WW.

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Wright City

Wright City Fire Protection District receives $9,500 grant from Norfolk Southern Railroad

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The Wright City Fire Protection District received a $9,500 “Safety First” grant from the Norfolk Southern Railroad which went towards purchasing a new Kawasaki side-by-side for Station 3, located on State Highway WW. 

Lieutenant Josh Riebe said Norfolk Southern reached out to the fire district to help them through the process. He also directed praise to volunteer firefighter Kyle Creech, who he said was responsible for writing and submitting the grant application. 

“They basically directed us down the path for that grant,” said Riebe. 

Riebe was glad that they were able to equip Station 3, which is staffed entirely by volunteers, with more options to conduct their work. 

“We're proud to support local organizations like Wright City Fire Protection District, which works tirelessly to keep their community safe,” said Kristin Wong, Director of NS Foundation & Community Impact at Norfolk Southern. “Our Safety First Grants are one of the many ways Norfolk Southern contributes to building strong, resilient communities across our 22-state network.” 

He said the grant went towards the new Kawasaki side-by-side along with a 55-gallon fire suppression system that can be deployed from the side-by-side. 

Riebe went on to say that the side-by-side will be used in similar situations to another unit they have that operates out of Station 1 within the Wright City limits. They use that unit to help suppress natural cover fires and to take firefighters to places where their usual trucks cannot access. 

They are also used to help in cases of missing persons. 

“Honestly it was just a great opportunity that we didn’t even know existed,” said Wright City Fire Chief Ron MacKnight. “Station 3 and our volunteers will have more of the same capabilities.”

WCFPD, Safety First Grant

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