Each year, MSA Safety and DuPont Personal Protection partner with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) to provide Globe turnout gear and MSA fire helmets to volunteer fire departments in need.
In 2024, 13 volunteer fire departments across the U.S. and Canada each received four new sets of turnout jackets, turnout pants, and helmets to help increase the safety of their responders. MSA also provided the first 500 applicants with an NVFC membership.
Compliant with safety standards
The donations have made a notable impact in enabling units to better protect their responders
Since the program began in 2012, a total of 767 sets of gear and 312 helmets have been donated to 173 departments, totaling more than 2 million dollars in life-saving gear.
Receiving departments faced limited budgets and resources, which prevented them from securing the sufficient quantity of gear they needed and/or left them using gear that was out of date and not compliant with safety standards. The donations have made a significant impact in enabling departments to better protect their responders.
Enhance the safety of ground firefighters
“Volunteer firefighters are the backbone of their communities, answering the call whenever their neighbors have an emergency,” said NVFC Chair, Steve Hirsch.
He adds, “And yet many departments lack the funding to be able to provide state-of-the-art, up-to-date personal protective equipment for their responders. We are proud to partner with MSA and DuPont each year to help meet this need and enhance the safety of our boots on the ground firefighters.”
Improve safety for firefighters
“DuPont is honored to continue supporting the Globe Gear Giveaway program, which plays a crucial role in providing essential safety equipment to volunteer firefighters across the United States and Canada. We strongly believe that those who protect their communities deserve the very best protection,” said Stephanie Vrakas, NA Marketing Manager, DuPont Personal Protection.
“At MSA, our mission is helping to keep people safe at work, including firefighters who are helping to keep their communities safe,” said Ben Mauti, Director of Americas Segment Marketing at MSA Safety, adding “We’re proud to be supporting this program and helping to improve safety for firefighters at fire departments that are most in need, so these firefighters have the protective equipment they need when their community calls on them for help.”
Recipients of the 2024 MSA
The recipients of the 2024 MSA and DuPont’s Globe Gear Giveaway are as follows:
- Cornettsville (KY) Fire Department
- Hessmer (LA) Fire Department
- East Galesburg (IL) Volunteer Fire Department
- East Glacier Park (MT) Volunteer Fire Department
- Elmore Fire Department (Lake Elmore, VT)
- Gander Bay Fire Department (Wing’s Point, NL, Canada)
- Hasbrouck Heights (NJ) Fire Department
- Keating Rural Fire Protection District (Baker City, OR)
- Prater Fire and Rescue (Grundy, VA)
- Samburg-Reelfoot Volunteer Fire Department (Hornbeak, TN)
- Tanner Volunteer Fire Department (Athens, AL)
- Taylorstown (PA) Volunteer Fire Department
- Terre Du Lac Fire Department (Bonne Terre, MO).
DuPont’s Globe Gear Giveaway
To be eligible to apply for the giveaway, departments must be over 50 percent volunteer, serve a population of 25,000 or less, be located in the U.S. or Canada and legally organized under state/province law, demonstrate a significant need for new gear, and the person applying or the department chief must be a member of the NVFC. MSA provides NVFC memberships to the first 500 applicants to help departments meet the membership requirement.
The application period for 2025 MSA and DuPont’s Globe Gear Giveaway will open in February 2025. A total of 52 sets of turnout gear and helmets will be awarded to increase firefighter safety. Stay tuned to the NVFC web site, Dispatch newsletter, and Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram pages, as well as the Globe Facebook page, for details.
