Fire District No. 1 accepts $10,000 donation from Kansas Pipeline Association

Fire District No. 1 accepted a $10,000 charitable donation from the Kansas Pipeline Association at its regular meeting on Oct. 2, 2024, Chairman Beatty said. Deputy Chief Kevin Nelson told the board the district’s HAZMAT team attended KPA training and that the prize will help buy air monitoring equipment and textbooks for training classes.

"We were fortunate enough to win, so we're getting a $10,000 donation," Deputy Chief Kevin Nelson said. "We plan on using it to purchase things for the HAZMAT team, whether it's air monitoring equipment, possibly some textbooks for training classes." Mr. Rubin, a Kansas Pipeline Association representative who spoke at the meeting, said the association provides free training to emergency responders across Kansas and selected the district as its grand-prize winner in a drawing.

Chairman Beatty praised the district’s roughly 150 firefighters and said the funds will be put to use to strengthen the department and serve constituents. Commissioner Dennis thanked KPA and other pipeline companies for training and described a recent Black Hills Energy demonstration of "Purple K," saying the suppressant "definitely puts out a gas fire."

Beatty moved to accept the donation "with great appreciation"; the motion was seconded (the transcript records a second but does not identify who seconded). The clerk then called the roll: Commissioners Meitzner, Dennis, Howe and Lopez and Chairman Beatty voted "Aye," and the board approved the donation unanimously. The Fire District meeting was then adjourned and the session returned to the Board of County Commission agenda.

No further action was assigned during the meeting; the district did not schedule follow-up items tied to the gift during the session.