Fire departments in Rideau Lakes and Athens are set to receive provincial funding through Ontario’s Fire Protection Grant program.
Ontario’s Ministry of the Solicitor General has doubled funding for the program this year, increasing the total available funding from $10 million to $20 million. The grant supports municipal fire departments with equipment purchases, cancer-prevention initiatives, and upgrades to address emerging risks such as lithium-ion battery fires.
In Athens, the fire department will receive $16,000 to install a truck exhaust recovery system for all four bays of the fire hall. Rideau Lakes Fire Rescue is receiving $62,004 to purchase new gloves, an extraction washing machine, a portable PPE dryer, drying racks, detergent, and ventilated gear storage lockers.
Across Leeds and Grenville, fire departments are sharing more than $401,000 in funding under the program. The province says the investments are aimed at improving firefighter safety, supporting cancer-prevention efforts, and modernizing fire service infrastructure.
