Farm Credit Services of America Awards RCFD With $2,000 Grant

Grant will be used to purchase tower rescue equipment

Rapid City, S.D. - On Thursday firefighters from Rapid City Fire Station 3 accepted a check for $2,000 from the Farm Credit Services of America (FCSAmerica) for the purchase of tower rescue equipment. The grant is provided through the FCSAmerica Working Here Fund.

Above: Justin Uhrig with FCSAmerica presents RCFD Captain Calen Maningas with a check for $2,000 from the Working Here Fund. The grant will be used for the purchase of tower rescue equipment.

Tower climbing continues to rank among the most dangerous jobs in North America. Incidents involving communications towers are often referred to as high risk, low frequency incidents. Response to tower incidents requires specialized training in addition to specialized equipment. With over 70 towers in Pennington County, it is important for Station 3 personnel to be prepared for this type of incident.

In March, members of South Dakota Task Force 1 –which includes firefighters from Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Aberdeen and Watertown Fire Departments– completed a tower rescue training course in Rapid City.  The FCSAmerica grant will allow Rapid City Firefighters to be well equipped as well as highly trained. Captain Calen Maningas of the Rapid City Fire Department anticipates that RCFD personnel will be fully trained on the new equipment by the end of September 2019 and will begin providing tower rescue training for other communities in May of 2020.

Above: Firefighters from South Dakota Task Force 1 participate in tower rescue training in March 2019 near Stevens High School in Rapid City.

According to a release by FCSAmerica, the Rapid City Fire Department is one of 73 organizations to receive a Working Here Fund grant in the second quarter of 2019.  FCSAmerica awarded $134,850 during the latest grant cycle ending June 30, 2019.

“We understand the importance of keeping our communities safe and appreciate the efforts of the Rapid City Fire Department,” said Michelle Pluta, vice president of retail operations at FCSAmerica’s Rapid City office. Farm Credit Services of America is one of the region’s leading providers of credit and insurance services to farmers, ranchers, agribusiness and rural residents in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming.

According to their website, the FCSAmerica Working Here Fund provides grant funding for projects and organizations that make a positive impact in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. In order to be considered, applicants must demonstrate how contributions will be used for purposes that serve agriculture education, young and beginning producers, hunger and nutrition, or essential services and disaster relief.

For questions or comment related to this release please contact Lt. Jim Bussell, Public Information Officer for the Rapid City Fire Department, at 605-394-4180.

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