Koch companies said its plan to contribute more than $200,000 in 2012 to support volunteer fire departments and local emergency responders in communities where the companies own and operate manufacturing facilities, pipelines, mills and ranches.
Whether facing a lightning-induced wildfire or any number of other emergencies, volunteer fire departments and emergency responders are often the only source of immediate help for people living in rural areas.
“Koch companies operate in many small towns and rural communities across the United States,” said Jim Mahoney, executive vice president of operations excellence and compliance. “The majority of our sites — and the employees who work there — rely on local volunteer fire services and emergency response teams to provide these critical services. Our contributions are aimed at supporting and equipping these men and women who perform this important work.”
Today, employees of Koch companies in Texas, including Flint Hills Resources, Koch Pipeline Company, L.P., Optimized Process Designs, Inc. and Matador Ranch, are delivering checks totaling more than $80,000 to 32 organizations throughout the state. The grants, ranging from $500 to $25,000, are earmarked for equipment and training for these organizations that rely almost entirely on donations.
“Today’s contributions will support critical services,” Mahoney said. “Each of our companies recognizes the importance of volunteer fire departments and emergency responders in their communities. We also have a number of Koch company employees who serve as volunteer firefighters, helping to protect people, homes and businesses.”
According to a release, Georgia-Pacific, another Koch company, annually awards grants totaling more than $100,000 to volunteer fire departments in the U.S. through its Georgia-Pacific Bucket Brigade program. Since the program’s launch in 2006, nearly $1 million has been granted to rural and small town fire units across the United States to meet critical needs, as well as provide educational materials to schools to help spread the word about fire safety. In the most recent Bucket Brigade funding cycle, the Indian Springs Volunteer Fire Department in Livingston, Texas, and the Onalaska, Texas, Volunteer Fire Department each received grants of $2,500.
In Minnesota, Flint Hills Resources recently hosted fire training schools for rookie emergency responders in the Twin Cities area and Koch Pipeline Company, L.P. donated specialty breathing equipment to the fire department in Cottage Grove.
Summer is a critical season for volunteer fire units. In addition to wildfires burning across thousands of acres of forests in the United States, the National Fire Protection Association identifies July as the peak month for grilling-related incidents. It says that between 2005 and 2009, fire departments responded to an average of 8,200 home fires involving grills, hibachis or barbecues annually. This included an average of 3,400 structure fires and 4,800 outside fires, which caused an annual average of 15 deaths, 120 injuries and $75 million in direct property damage.
Employees of Koch companies in Texas, including Flint Hills Resources, Koch Pipeline Company, L.P., Optimized Process Designs, Inc. and Matador Ranch, are delivering checks totaling more than $80,000 to volunteer fire departments and local emergency responders throughout the state. The funds, ranging from $500 to $25,000, are earmarked for equipment and training to the following 32 organizations:
- Anahuac Volunteer Fire Dept. - Anahuac, Texas
- Annaville Volunteer Fire Dept. - Corpus Christi, Texas
- Beeville Volunteer Fire Dept. - Beeville, Texas
- Bluebonnet Volunteer Fire Dept. - Cedar Creek, Texas
- Chisholm Trail Fire Rescue - Dale, Texas
- Devers Fire Dept. - Devers, Texas
- Dougherty Volunteer Fire Dept. - Dougherty, Texas
- Friendswood Volunteer Fire Dept. - Friendswood, Texas
- Hardin County LEPC - Kountze, Texas
- Hardin Volunteer Fire Dept. - Hardin, Texas
- Ingleside on the Bay Volunteer Fire Dept. - Ingleside, Texas
- Jefferson Co. LEPC - Beaumont, Texas
- Karnes City Volunteer Fire Dept. - Karnes City, Texas
- Katy Volunteer Fire Dept. - Katy, Texas
- Kemah Volunteer Fire Dept. - Kemah, Texas
- Kenedy City VFD - Kenedy, Texas
- Kenefick Volunteer Fire Dept. - Dayton, Texas
- Kountze Fire Dept. - Kountze, Texas
- League City Volunteer Fire Dept. - League City, Texas
- Liberty Volunteer Fire Dept. - Liberty, Texas
- Longview Fire Dept. - Longview, Texas
- Lumberton Fire & EMS - Lumberton, Texas
- Matador Volunteer Fire Dept. - Matador, Texas
- Nederland Fire-Rescue - Nederland, Texas
- Nueces County LEPC - Corpus Christi, Texas
- Papalote Volunteer Fire Dept. - Sinton, Texas
- Pettus Tuleta VFD - Tuleta, Texas
- Refugio Volunteer Fire Dept. - Refugio, Texas
- Roaring Springs Fire Dept. - Roaring Springs, Texas
- Sinton Volunteer Fire Dept. - Sinton, Texas
- Sour Lake Volunteer Fire Dept. - Sourlake, Texas
- Taft Volunteer Fire Dept. - Taft, Texas
Koch Industries, Inc. owns a diverse group of companies involved in refining, chemicals and biofuels; process and pollution control equipment and technologies; minerals; fertilizers; polymers and fibers; commodity trading and services; forest and consumer products; and ranching.
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