WPS Foundation awards new equipment to Wausau Fire Dept. MWC photo by Mike Leischner
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Wausau Fire Department is now equipped with electric hazard detection units after winning a WPS Foundation Rewarding Responders grant.
Deputy Chief Justin Pluess says the devices have been a want for the department for years and can take some guesswork out of determining whether an emergency scene is safe. “They are a voltage detector, so when we go to [the scene of] a downed power line, we can use this to determine if that is energized or not.”
Until now, Pluess says the department has usually “played it safe” when dealing with a downed power line, street light, or stoplight. “We would avoid coming into contact with anything that could be energized. These will give us a much more definitive answer.”
The grant allowed the department to purchase three devices; one will be kept on each of the front-line fire trucks. They run about $500 each, and Pluess says they’ve been on the department’s wish list for years. “I can’t tell you how long, but since I’ve been here, we’ve wanted to see them on our apparatus. But they are fairly expensive.
“We try to make our levy dollars go as far as they can. So any time we can apply for a grant for a piece of equipment, we search out those opportunities,” he added.
Representatives from WPS and the WPS Foundation presented the units to Wausau Fire Chief Jeremy Kopp and Deputy Chief Pluess on Wednesday. It’s the first time Wausau has won a Rewarding Responders grant since 2016.
The program began in 2014 and has awarded more than $750,000 for equipment and training to police, fire, and EMS groups that operate within the WPS coverage area. Other grant winners included the Kronewetter Fire Department, Stevens Point Police Department, Town of Antigo Volunteer Fire Department, and Hull Fire Department.
Additionally, the Town of Wausau Fire Department won a grant for community fire extinguisher training, and the Langlade County Sheriff’s Office won a grant for officer emergency response training.
Agencies are eligible for one grant every two years, so this year’s recipients can apply again in 2028.
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