Colome Fire Department Receives Grant from South Dakota Salutes

 Representatives from the South Dakota Salutes organization were in Colome recently to present a $5,000 check to the Colome Volunteer Fire Department.

Last Fall the Colome VFD submitted a request to fund the purchase of new SCBAs (self-contained breathing apparatus) through an annual grant program administered by the Independent Insurance Agents of South Dakota (IIASD). SCBAs are a critical piece of equipment needed to protect fire fighters from toxic gas and particulates that are often emitted from fires.

Although Colome was not chosen to receive the initial IIASD grant, a South Dakota Salutes team also reviewed their request and selected the Colome VFD to receive a $5,000 gift.

“We are pleased to provide this grant to the Colome Volunteer Fire Department,” said South Dakota Salutes representative Scott Korsten. “It is our hope that local resources will be encouraged to match these funds and enable the Colome VFD to purchase the critical equipment they need to protect their volunteer fire fighters.”

South Dakota Salutes (SDS) was originally formed in 2016 as an event to show appreciation to South Dakota first responders and military personnel. SDS also raises money and provides an immediate $10,000 cash gift to bridge the immediate financial concerns of the families of South Dakota “First Responders” who have died in the line of duty.

This $5,000 grant to the Colome VFD was given through the “third leg” of the South Dakota Salutes stool — a recently formed “special needs fund.” This fund was created through the vision of an individual donor, whose intent was to provide “seed money” that would be used to raise matching local funds, with proceeds targeted to fund unmet needs of emergency service organizations throughout South Dakota.

According to Fire Chief Glenn Sealy, the Colome VFD is continuing to raise funds to replace the department’s outdated SCBAs, with an expected total cost of more than $50,000.