Fire departments receive funds

The fire departments in Sparta and Ellis Grove recently received a portion of $2.2 million in funding from the The Office of the State Fire Marshal, according to State Sen. Paul Schimpf (R-Waterloo).

The funding is part of the State Fire Marshal's Fiscal Year 2018 Small Equipment Grant Program. There are 100 departments taking a share of the $2.2 million in awarded funds, including eight recipients in and around District 58.

Local grant recipients are:

Gorham Volunteer Fire Department, Gorham

Jefferson Fire Protection District, Mt. Vernon

Ware-Wolf Lake Fire Protection District, Wolf Lake

Valmeyer Fire Protection District, Valmeyer

Ellis Grove Volunteer Fire Department, Ellis Grove

Sparta Fire Department, Sparta

Camp Jackson Fire Department, Cahokia

St. Libory Fire Protection District, St. Libory

The Office of the State Fire Marshal awards the grants on an annual basis. This year's list of winners was shared during a news conference with Senator Schimpf at the Collinsville Fire Station on July 17.