Proper hydration is critical to help firefighters perform at their best and avoid health consequences that the combination of intense heat, physical exertion, and loss of fluids can cause. However, with so many demands on budget and resources, many volunteer fire departments struggle to obtain the water they need to keep their firefighters hydrated during long incidents or disasters such as wildfires. To help departments meet this need, Anheuser-Busch partnered with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) in 2019 to create the Emergency Drinking Water for Wildland Firefighters program.
In 2022, 1.5 million cans of emergency drinking water were delivered to 450 volunteer fire departments across 46 states to help them prepare for wildfire response. Departments were selected through an application process and had to meet certain requirements, including being at least 50% volunteer and serving a population of 25,000 or less. While most water was allocated through the general application period in March, departments actively fighting wildfires throughout the year could utilise the rapid response request to receive an emergency donation. All recipients of this year’s and previous years’ water donations can be viewed on their website.
The Emergency Drinking Water for Wildland Firefighters program is an expansion of Anheuser-Busch’s longtime commitment to providing clean, safe drinking water to communities impacted by natural disasters. Since the program began, 6.5 million cans of water have been distributed to more than 1,400 volunteer fire departments across nearly all 50 states.
“We are proud to partner with Anheuser-Busch to make sure our wildland firefighters have the water they need to stay hydrated and functioning at their best,” said NVFC chair Steve Hirsch. “Hydration is critical to the health and safety of firefighters, and we thank Anheuser-Busch for recognising and addressing this critical need for our nation’s volunteer responders.”
The general application period for the 2023 Emergency Drinking Water for Wildland Firefighters program will be open March 15-31.
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