Fire departments, schools, parks and townships are a few of the 44 Pennsylvania organizations that will receive $326,800 in funding this spring from Williams through its bi-annual Atlantic Sunrise community grant program.

Two of the emergency response organizations in Lebanon County, Pa., are the Friendship Fire Company and the Lawn Volunteer Fire Company, both of which plan to use grant awards of $10,000 each to purchase modern rescue equipment.

“We have a lot of older rescue equipment that desperately needs updating,” said Captain Robert Donley, Friendship Fire Company. “This support is going to allow us to purchase newer, modern rescue equipment that will help us be more effective in our local emergency response activities. Our entire fire company is very grateful for this grant.”

Lawn Fire Company Chief Daniel Braden echoed those remarks.

“We are going to use this much-needed grant to help us obtain additional personal protective equipment to keep our responders safe as they respond to emergencies within our community,” said Braden. “For a volunteer organization like ours, this contribution is going to go a long, long way. Thank you Williams for partnering with the emergency response community.”

Grants up to $10,000 per applicant are being awarded by Williams to eligible organizations in communities where the proposed Atlantic Sunrise pipeline project would be constructed and operated. Since 2015, Williams has announced total awards of more than $1.79 million across the entire Atlantic Sunrise project area.