April 20:
CARLSBAD >> When the oilmen showed up at the volunteer fire chiefs' meeting earlier this week, it was easy to see something special was going on.
And at the end of the evening, the Eddy County fire fighters had enjoyed a nice dinner and received a check for each of their departments, courtesy of Devon Energy.
"During the meeting, Devon ambassadors -- employees who do community outreach -- presented 13 volunteer fire departmentswith $1,500 each," said Devon spokesman Tim Hartley.
He pointed out that the departments are an important part of the safety of their communities and of the county as a whole.
The departments and fire districts included Atoka,, Cottonwood, Happy Valley, Joel, La Huerta, Loco Hills, Village of Loving, Malaga, Otis, Queen, Riverside, Sun Country and Village of Hope.
"At Devon, one of our core values is to be a good neighbor," said Jerry Mathews, production superintendent for Devon in Southeast New Mexico. "That includes supporting our local first responders, who do so much for the communities where we operate."
Eddy County Fire Services Coordinator Robert Brader pointed out the difference between donated funds and tax funding.
"Each department is allowed to decide what they need that money for, because it is not tax money," he said.
It could go for recruiting and retention of volunteer fire fighters, for training or equipment.
"Local volunteer fire departments are always facing budget challenges," Hartley said, "so we wanted to offer some help to them because they are such an important part of the safety of our community,"
Source: http://www.currentargus.com/carlsbad-news/ci_25603531/devon-energy-gives-20k-fire-departments?
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