Gonzales Fire Dept. receives life-saving grants

Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation awarded $43,159 worth of life-saving equipment grants to three fire departments, Coteau Fire Protection District, Gonzales Fire Department and Independence Volunteer Fire Department. 

"We receive grants from the federal government ,but for a business to step out and do this is astronomical," said Gonzales Fire Chief Tracey Normand. "We have a new program, we are going to have modems in the fire trucks. The information that we can look up to a response call is going to be astronomical. Our dispatch center was able to receive information that they haven't before. It's going to put us on the cutting edge of technology as far as first response goes."

The Gonzales Fire Department was awarded with $15,669 worth of mobile computers. The computers will be placed in emergency vehicles in order to improve communication between dispatchers and firefighters while allowing for immediate transfer of critical information pertaining to emergencies.