By Fiona de Young, Community Relations Manager
VAIL, AZ – The Rincon Valley Fire District (RVFD) is the proud recipient of a grant from the Gary Sinise Foundation. The award was used to provide RVFD with highly-specialized decontamination equipment to help the district’s first responders prevent the spread of COVID-19. Known as an AeroClave, the system uses fogging technology to disinfect large areas, such as ambulances and healthcare facilities.
“Like all first responders, we are finding ourselves on the front lines of the coronavirus,” said Fire Chief Jayme Kahle. “We could not be more grateful to the Gary Sinise Foundation for this critical equipment, especially as Arizona hits record numbers of infections.”
Worth more than $15,000, the donated equipment helps protect patients and first responders by ensuring ambulances are completely disinfected between uses. The equipment emits a fog that disinfects on contact in about 30 minutes.
The grant from the Gary Sinise Foundation is part of the foundation’s First Responders Outreach program, which provides funding to departments for essential equipment, PPE, and training to ensure first responders have what they need to perform to the best of their abilities.
“Now more than ever, First Responders like the Rincon Valley Fire District are absolutely indispensable to the safety of our communities. Just as our first responders are working so hard to protect us, the Gary Sinise Foundation is committed to doing everything we can to protect and support them,” said Bobby George, Director of Outreach for the Gary Sinise Foundation.
Formed in 1985 by 12 volunteers, Rincon Fire has grown into a professional fire district with two stations covering 43-square miles and serving more than 14,000 people. “In a community like ours, a grant from the Gary Sinise Foundation makes a world of difference,” Kahle said, “we thank them for all their efforts to help first responders.”
