Napoleon Township Receives Water Donation from Anheuser-Busch

A pallet of drinking water was recently delivered to the Napoleon Township Fire Department as part of a grant program through Anheuser-Busch and Daniel L. Jacob & Company Inc. Pictured from left are Daniel L. Jacob Sales Executive Coordinator Matt Shaver, NFD Captain Grant Burnett, NFD Assistant Chief Jeremy Holbrook, NFD Chief Greg Bickford, and Fire Fighter Becky Downs.  Photos by Jeff Steers, JTV News.

By Jeff Steers
JTV News

(June 23, 2022 3:09 PM) On extended emergencies, the Napoleon Township Fire Department and other agencies providing mutual aid can go through two or three cases of bottled water to keep its firefighters hydrated.

NFD Assistant Fire Chief Jeremy Holbrook said that is why the department applied for a grant from Anheuser-Busch through the National Volunteer Fire Council for a water donation.

The department is the only Jackson County Fire Department to take advantage of this program – now in its fourth year – and receive the water. 

Local distributor Daniel L. Jacob & Company Inc. recently dropped off a pallet of water – nearly 100 cases – that should last approximately one year according to Holbrook.

The assistant fire chief said last year the department responded to 725 calls with approximately 20 percent of those being characterized as “extended emergencies.”

Anheuser-Busch teamed with the National Volunteer Fire Council for the fourth consecutive year to donate 1.5 million cans of emergency drinking water to volunteer fire departments nationwide ahead of the 2022 wildfire season. The partnership’s next phase marks a significant continuation of the brewer’s 30-year-strong commitment to disaster relief and supporting local communities in times of need through its emergency drinking water program.

The 1.5 million cans of emergency drinking water – produced and distributed by Anheuser-Busch – will be donated to nearly 450 volunteer fire departments across 46 states. As wildfire season lengthens and increases in severity each year, clean drinking water remains essential in addressing firefighters’ hydration needs – yet many volunteer departments struggle with limited budget and resources.

Since 2019, Anheuser-Busch and its national network of independent wholesalers have partnered with NVFC to provide these critical resources to America’s volunteer fire service. To date, Anheuser-Busch has donated more than 4.9 million cans of clean, safe drinking water to more than 960 fire departments in 49 states to support wildfire response needs in coordination with NVFC and the brewer’s wholesaler network.

Holbrook said the grant application was fairly easy as it asked about the size of the community and the use for the water.

“On these extended emergencies, it is critical for our firefighters to remain hydrated,” Holbrook said. 

The assistant chief said a couple of cases would be stored in the truck’s built-in refrigerator.