Russellville VFD receives water from Anheuser-Busch

Canned drinking water was recently donated to the Russellville Volunteer Fire Department by Anheuser-Busch to help its members stay hydrated.

Courtesy photo

RUSSELLVILLE — The Russellville Volunteer Fire Department recently received canned drinking water from Anheuser-Busch to help its firefighters stay hydrated during this year’s wildfire season and other emergency responses.

A pallet of the product was delivered to the department by Zinc Distributing, an Anheuser-Busch wholesale partner in Indianapolis. The donation was made possible through a partnership between Anheuser-Busch and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC).

The brewing company periodically pauses beer production each year to apply its production and logistics to can clean, safe drinking water that is ready to distribute during emergencies. Since 1988, it has donated more than 90 million cans of water to communities impacted by natural disasters and other crises.

Building on this commitment, Anheuser-Busch teamed up with the NVFC — the leading nonprofit membership association representing the interests of volunteer fire, medical and rescue services ­— in 2019 to distribute water to volunteer firefighters. To date, the program has donated nearly 4.9 million cans to personnel across the country.

“Firefighters lose a tremendous amount of fluid during high-intensity responses such as battling wildfires. Proper hydration is critical to ensure the safety of our firefighters and to keep them performing at their best,” said Russellville Fire Chief Mark Rossok. “Thanks to this water donation from Anheuser-Busch and the National Volunteer Fire Council, we have the resources to keep our firefighters hydrated and ready to respond.”

Rossok noted that the area is facing a potential drought that will affect crops. As such, a fire can spread rapidly across dried fields and create a hot, labor-intensive scenario.

The department intends to share the water with volunteers in Bainbridge, Roachdale and in other neighboring communities who may come in need.

Russellville VFD is based in Russell Township, which is 35 square miles and consists mainly of farmland. The department has 15 active members and responds to an average of 80 calls for assistance a year. It also provides mutual-aid assistance to neighboring departments.

To learn more about the program, visit www.nvfc.org/water.