Kelly Zagrzebski from WPS community relations and Fire Chief Mark Deaver examine the department's new helmets on Oct. 18. Black helmets signify a firefighter, red indicates a captain, and lieutenants wear yellow. Chief officers wear white helmets. (Metro Wire photo)

Plover firefighters welcome new gear, thanks to WPS grant

October 18, 2023October 20, 2023

By Brandi Makuski

The Plover Fire Department now has 10 new fire helmets, thanks in part to a $2,000 grant award from the Wisconsin Public Service Foundation.

The winning grant was written by Deputy Fire Chief Trevor Howard. It covers a little more than half of the cost of purchasing the helmets, which run about $325 a piece, Howard said.

The helmets are “a few pounds” lighter than earlier models, according to Fire Chief Mark Deaver, and that makes a difference amidst the 60 or so pounds of gear he and his members need to wear before they enter a structure fire.

Deaver said most people outside of the fire service aren’t aware that just like the rest of their gear, structural fire helmets have an expiration date. Under guidelines set forth by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the helmets should be replaced every 10 years.

Plover’s oldest helmet still in use is from 2005, but the PFD recently updated several other helmets by purchasing newer, but used, helmets from the now-shuttered Park Ridge Fire Department.

*L:-R: Chief Mark Deaver, Kelly Zagrzebski, and Deputy Fire Chief Trevor Howard. (Metro Wire photo)*

The WPS Foundation is funding about $50,000 in grant requests for 2023.

“Back when we first started the grant, we were looking for ways to support our First Responders,” said Kelly Zagrzebski from community relations at WPS. “We thought, ‘What is something unique and different that we could do to do our part in helping out?’ And offering grants to pay for some of the equipment that was necessary seemed so appropriate.”

Th WPS Foundation created the Rewarding Responders Grant in 2014 and has since awarded nearly $500,000 to various departments.

Zagrzebski is a familiar face around local fire agencies, having been the face of the WPS Foundation when it comes to handing out grants across the region, and has been working with Deaver for about 13 years. When she arrived at PFD on Oct. 18 for the check presentation, it was her last such task before her Oct. 20 retirement from WPS. She’s moving to Arizona for another job opportunity, she said.

“This is a hard one. I’ve seen a lot of amazing things you guys have done over the years,” she said on Wednesday.

Deaver presented Zagrzebski with a PFD Challenge Coin as a token of appreciation for her work.

“You’ve helped us out in 2017 with a grant, 2019, and again, now in 2023. I just want to thank you for continuing a partnership with us,” Deaver said on Wednesday. “I’ve seen you out on scenes, walking the property, during storms, during some of the worst times we’ve had in Plover. And I’ll tell you during those storms in 2019, we couldn’t have done it without you.”

The Plover Fire Department is located at 2400 Post Rd.