Friends of Bigfork Fire Department recipient of grant from ‘Round up for Safety’

Round Up for Safety recently awarded The Friends of Bigfork Fire Department a $10,000 grant to purchase rope rescue equipment for the Bigfork Fire Department.

Round Up for Safety is a community safety program sponsored by Flathead Electric Cooperative members who “round up” their monthly electric bill to the nearest dollar. The extra money provides grant funds for locally based nonprofit safety projects. 

Chief, Jeremy Patton and Lieutenant, Sean Reffner met with Rob Tracy, Vice President of Friends of Bigfork Fire Department, to write the rope rescue equipment grant request. Bill Leininger, Roundup for Safety President, and District 8 representative, assisted with the submittal process, along with Courtney Stone, Communications and Marketing Supervisor with Flathead Electric Cooperative. 

“We are all indebted to the many volunteer and nonprofit organizations, like the Bigfork Fire Department, that do so much heavy lifting to make Northwest Montana a vibrant, and increasingly safer, place to live,” Leininger said.

“Bill and Courtney made the whole application process so easy,” Tracy added. “We submitted the application, met with the Round Up for Safety Board, made our presentation, and were notified, in less than a week we were awarded the grant.”

“Flathead Electric Cooperative is endlessly grateful to our many members who allow their monthly electric bills to be rounded up to fund safety projects in our communities, and to the Roundup for Safety board for the extensive time and care they put into considering and shepherding these grants,” Stone said.

To learn more about Roundup for Safety, visit: flatheadelectric.com/roundup