Union Gas Supports Township of Chatsworth Fire Department Training

$5,000 grant part of $35,000 to Project Assist for seven Ontario fire departments

CHATSWORTH, ON, Oct. 15, 2014 /CNW/ - Union Gas utility services manager, Jeremy Miller joined the Township of Chatsworth council meeting today to provide a $5,000 credit towards the purchase of firefighter training materials.

This grant is part of a $40,000 partnership campaign between the Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council and Union Gas that will assist seven volunteer fire departments by providing a $5,000 credit to each department for firefighter training materials and provide five Ontario fire departments with combination smoke/carbon monoxide alarms to distribute to high risk areas.

"Firefighters risk their lives every day to keep Ontarians safe. Safety is always top of mind at Union Gas, so it makes sense for us to partner with fire departments through Project Assist," said Miller.

In Ontario, there are 19,233 volunteer firefighters, working at a risky and demanding profession, and being highly trained and prepared is a necessity. In 2012 alone, there were 11,294 outdoor, structure or vehicle fires with losses throughout Ontario, a number that clearly demonstrates the need for highly trained volunteer fire services.

"A well-trained fire department is able to meet challenges safely and better protect the people of Ontario. Firefighters risk their lives every day to keep Ontarians safe, and with these grants we recognize their efforts and their dedication," said Miller.

The department was one of seven chosen through a random draw of all applications received by Union Gas through a call out for interested departments in the company's service area.  Other recipients include the North Middlesex Fire Department, Haldimand County Fire Department, Prince Edward County Fire Department, Lakeshore Fire & Rescue, Township of Ignace Fire Department and West Nipissing Fire Service.

"Having access to up-to-date training materials is crucial to firefighter health and safety," said Ted Wieclawek, Fire Marshal of Ontario, Chief of Emergency Management and Chair of the Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council. "Thanks to Union Gas, Project Assist can continue to help fire service personnel get the training materials they need to handle dangerous and unpredictable situations."

"This funding from Union Gas is a big bonus.  It will greatly enhance our training resource library and will provide more options for our instructors to use when delivering our training," said Township of Chatsworth Fire Department fire chief, Mike Givens. "Many thanks to Union Gas and the Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council for including us in this year's Project Assist campaign."

A commitment to vibrant communities is a core company value of Union Gas, and supporting valuable safety training programs such as Project Assist, which supplements existing training for Ontario fire departments, is one way the company demonstrates that commitment.

About Township of Chatsworth Fire Department
The Township of Chatsworth Fire Department has one station located in the village of Chatsworth.  It covers approximately 80% of the Townships 6,800 residents and 675 square kilometers, with an average of 80 to 90 emergency responses annually.  The department staff consists of one fire chief/fire prevention officer, one volunteer deputy fire chief, three volunteer captains and fifteen volunteer firefighters.  It operates with one pumper truck, one tanker truck, one rescue truck, one support/medical truck and one wild land fire/remote rescue RTV.

About the Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council
The Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council is a registered charity established in 1993 with a mission to help create "a world where no one is hurt by fire". The Council, chaired by the Ontario Fire Marshal and supported by the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management, operates at arm's length from the government and promotes fire prevention and public education through sponsorships and partnerships with various groups and individuals with an interest in public safety.

About Union Gas
Union Gas Limited, a Spectra Energy (NYSE: SE) company, is a major Canadian natural gas storage, transmission and distribution company based in Ontario with 100 years of experience and service to customers, assets of over $6.4 billion and approximately 2,200 employees. The distribution business serves about 1.4 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in more than 400 communities across Ontario. Union Gas is one of Canada's Top 100 Employers for 2014. For more information, visit uniongas.com or find us on Twitter: twitter.com/uniongas, Facebook: facebook.com/uniongas and YouTube: youtube.com/user/uniongas.

SOURCE: Union Gas Limited

Union Gas Limited, Andrea Stass, Manager, External Communications and Media Relations, Ph: 519 436-5490 or 1-800-571-8446 ext. 5005490, Cell: 519 365-1010, [email protected]; Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council, Kathy Ash, Campaign Coordinator, Ph: 613-498-6247 extension 105, [email protected]; Township of Chatsworth Fire Department, Mike Givens, Fire Chief/FPO/CEMC, Township of Chatsworth Fire Department, Phone: [phone], [email protected]