The Paint Lake Volunteer Fire Department (PLVFD) is receiving $10,000 worth of radio equipment from JVCKenwood Canada.
PLVFD is the recipient of the company’s seventh-annual Kenwood Cares Grant.
“Volunteer first responder organizations such as the Paint Lake Volunteer Fire Department fill critical roles in many communities,” said JVCKenwood national sales manager for the dealer sector Wilf Mulder. “We were impressed with their application and are pleased to support their community safety efforts.”
For over 25 years, PLVFD has been providing fire protection services to businesses, cottage-dwellers and seasonal campers in the Paint Lake Provincial Park and the surrounding area. Currently, they rely on visual hand signals to indicate operations, said PLVFD deputy fire chief Stephen Barlow. This system is impaired by factors such as darkness, obstacles, smoke and even the noise from the pumps drawing water from Paint Lake and Liz Lake.
“The radios that we receive though this grant will greatly improve out communication the fire line.” Barlow said. “We are honoured and grateful for the grant we are receiving from Kenwood to purchaser VHF handheld radios.”
The radios will be provided by Prairie Mobile Communications, founded in Brandon over 50 years ago, which has become one of the largest Kenwood dealers in Canada.
“We are thrilled that Paint Lake Volunteer Fire Department has been selected as the 2021 Kenwood Cares grant recipient,” said Prairie Mobile Communications president Kimberley Bishop. “It is our honour to support them in upgrading their communications equipment.”
