Southwest Lee County Fire/Rescue receives canned drinking water from Anheuser-Busch to support wildfire response efforts
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In a significant gesture of support, Southwest Fire/Rescue in Auburn, Alabama has received a generous donation of canned emergency drinking water from leading brewer Anheuser-Busch. This donation aims to ensure that the department’s responders remain hydrated as they tackle the challenging wildfire season.
Image: Southwest Fire/Rescue
On Wednesday, August 21, a total of 2,352 cans of water were delivered by local Anheuser-Busch wholesaler partner, Adams Beverages. This essential resource will help maintain firefighters’ hydration during extended incidents or disasters such as wildfires, a critical safety concern for many fire departments. In an effort to extend this support, Southwest Fire/Rescue will share portions of the water with the neighboring Farmville Volunteer Fire Department and the Lee County Emergency Management Agency.
Southwest Fire/Rescue, a 100% volunteer department, serves Southwest Lee County, covering approximately 55 square miles, including a stretch of Interstate 85. The department also provides mutual aid to surrounding volunteer departments, the City of Auburn, and into Macon County. Their responses span a range of emergencies, including medical incidents, technical rescues, structural and wildland fires, and motor vehicle accidents, totaling around 800 calls annually.
“Firefighters lose a tremendous amount of fluid during high-intensity response such as battling wildfires. Proper hydration is critical to ensure the safety of our firefighters and keep them performing at their best,” said Southwest Captain Tom Peavy. “Thanks to this water donation from Anheuser-Busch and the National Volunteer Fire Council, we now have the resources to keep our firefighters hydrated and ready to respond.”
The water donation was made possible through Anheuser-Busch’s partnership with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC). Anheuser-Busch has a longstanding tradition of pausing beer production each year to provide emergency drinking water and supplies for disaster relief efforts. This production pause allows the company to leverage its production and logistics expertise to can clean, safe drinking water ready for distribution in times of disaster. Since 1988, the brewer has donated more than 90 million cans of emergency drinking water.
This donation underscores the importance of community support and collaboration in ensuring the safety and readiness of volunteer fire departments across the nation.
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