Tex. First Responders Awarded $69K in Grants

Dec. 23—The Corpus Christi Fire Department will be better prepared for hazardous material situations thanks to a grant they received from Flint Hills.

Deputy Fire Chief Richie Quintero said the department was awarded $10,000 which they are putting to good use. He said the funds will help purchase equipment and supplies for its Hazardous Material Response Program.

Quintero said the department usually responds to refineries for those situations, but it's not limited to those areas.

"Chemicals are everywhere.They can be on the roads if there's an accident or at a home," he said. "With this equipment we're able to respond everywhere."

Quintero said the protective gear that they will purchase will be able to detect or identity an unknown chemical, useful in emergency situations.

Flint Hills Resources recently awarded $69,582 in grants to 19 first responders across South Texas through its Helping Heroes grant program. The grants are given for training, education, equipment and emergency notification needs.

To date, the companies have awarded more than $900,000 in grants across the state.

"These grants signify our respect and appreciation for the dedicated professionals who provide essential, and in many cases life-saving, services to our communities," Brook Vickery, vice president and manufacturing manager for Flint Hills Resources Corpus Christi, said in a press release.

He said the department has been a recipient of the grant for years now and feels obligated to give back to the community.

"In the application, we have to justify our need," Quintero said. "They want insurance that they're not just throwing $10,000 in the wind. We will utilize it to serve the community."

"It's a compliment to receive this," he said."We feel like our services are important."