Hemlock Semiconductor recently awarded nearly $12,000 through its 2020 Fire Department Training Grants to 11 fire departments in the Great Lakes Bay Region. The HSC scholarship grants will help cover the cost of a variety of training courses, including qualifying firefighters as operators of utility task vehicles and all-terrain vehicles. The training will enable firefighters to access dry lake bottom lands during rescue and wildfire operations. The operators will be able to respond anywhere in Midland and Gladwin counties when requested under mutual aid agreements. The grants will also help departments pay for Michigan Firefighter training for students interested in becoming firefighters.

“At HSC, we value our first responders,” said Ryan Ludwick, HSC Safety and Emergency Services team leader. “We’re so proud that this sponsorship has grown from covering just Firefighter I&II trainings to covering specialty trainings for firefighters in our neighborhood. These grants are just a small token of our appreciation for our community’s first responders and local fire departments keeping our neighbors, employees and their families safe.”

Here are the departments receiving the grants:

  • Bay City Department of Public Safety will use the grant to partially cover the cost of running a fire academy for newly hired personnel.
  • Garfield Township Fire Department in Bay County will use the grant to add two firefighters.
  • Portsmith Township Fire Department in Bay County will use the grant to send staff to the Saginaw County Fire Academy for additional training.
  • Edenville Township Fire Rescue in Midland County will use the grant to qualify firefighters as operators of utility task vehicles (UTVs) and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).
  • Jerome Township Fire Department in Midland County will use the grant to pay for seven new members to get Firefighters I & II training.
  • Mills Township Fire Department in Midland County will use the grant to train two new firefighters.
  • Gratiot County Fire Chiefs Association will use the grant to add a NIMS 300-400 to its training offerings.
  • Kochville Township Fire Department in Saginaw County will use the grant to provide specialized training opportunities to its firefighters.
  • Spaulding Township Fire Department in Saginaw County will use the grant to send staff to the Saginaw County Fire Academy for additional training.
  • Taymouth Township Fire Department in Saginaw County will use the grant to send staff to the Saginaw County Fire Academy for additional training.
  • Thomas Township Fire Department in Saginaw County to send two members to the Saginaw County Fire Academy for additional training.