Clarksville Fire Rescue receives $33K grant for dive team equipment

Clarksville Fire Rescue received a nearly $33,000 grant from the Gary Sinise Foundation, awarded with support from Whataburger and facilitated by Waterdogs Scuba and Safety; the funds provide multiple sets of personal protective equipment for the department's dive team.

Clarksville Fire Rescue received a nearly $33,000 grant from the Gary Sinise Foundation to purchase new dive team equipment. The award was made in partnership with Whataburger and was facilitated by Waterdogs Scuba and Safety. The grant provided multiple sets of personal protective equipment for members of the department's dive team. Officials said shared PPE had caused faster wear, cleaning challenges, and limits on how many personnel could be deployed. Key details: - Grant amount reported as nearly $33,000 from the Gary Sinise Foundation. - The award involved partners Whataburger and Waterdogs Scuba and Safety. - Funds were used to purchase multiple sets of personal protective equipment (PPE) for the dive team. - Clarksville Fire Rescue said team members previously shared PPE, which led to increased wear, difficulty cleaning between users, and limits on deployments. - Assistant Chief Brandon McCurdy noted that swiftwater and dive operations are hazardous and that the right equipment protects personnel. Summary: The grant supplies new PPE intended to reduce equipment sharing and address cleaning and wear issues that the department reported. Undetermined at this time.