Photo courtesy Purina.
Nestlé Purina PetCare announced a major donation to Williamsburg Township Emergency Services to enhance the department’s operations and response capabilities, as well as ongoing training, in support of the local community. With the $237,219 donation from Purina, Williamsburg Township Emergency Services is purchasing several new pieces of equipment and enrolling its personnel in relevant training programs to bolster its emergency response efforts to keep the community safe.
Ongoing discussions between local leaders of the new Purina pet food facility and Williamsburg Township Emergency Services considered the overall footprint of the soon-to-open manufacturing operation, which helped identify the new equipment needs. Once operational, the 1.3 million-square-foot factory will present some distinct emergency response challenges to the local fire department, which in part necessitated the partnership and the purchasing of upgraded equipment.
“This new equipment and access to training opportunities for our team will have a great, positive impact on our local community,” said Williamsburg Township Fire Chief Jason McCarthy. “A manufacturing operation the size and scope of Purina’s presents unique situations for our local crew, so a partnership like this allows us to be better equipped to keep their teams safe while also enhancing our ability to keep our community safe. Everyone in Williamsburg Township and the surrounding communities we serve is benefitting from this collaboration with Purina.”
The opportunity for Purina and Williamsburg Township to partner was realized after several safety meetings, which identified elements of the factory operations that would require enhancements to the Emergency Response department’s equipment. Representatives from the local fire department will participate in relevant training programs to become adept at handling the new pieces and to become better acquainted with techniques like rope rescue, confined spaces, and grain bin rescue. Courses will be led by state-certified instructors. Key pieces of new equipment include high angle rope rescue life safety equipment, thermal imaging cameras, multi-gas detectors, extrication devices, push/pull rams, and telescopic ram devices.
“It’s always a priority for us at Purina to engage our operating communities quickly and effectively, which is very much in line with the partnership we’re forging with Williamsburg Township Emergency Services,” said Mike Ferritto, Factory Manager of the Purina facility scheduled to open in Clermont County in late 2024. “There are very specific needs for enhanced emergency response support we need as our operations get up-and-running, but it’s equally important that we can play a role in enhancing the department’s overall operations to better serve our communities.”