It is no secret that Oklahoma has been battling more than its share of wildfires in recent weeks. Dry weather conditions, plus heavy March winds have equaled extreme fire dangers and long hours for the state’s fire departments.
Supporting those who help protect us … Grand River Dam Authority Assistant General Manager of Fuel and Generation Projects Charles Barney (second from left) presents a check from GRDA to Chouteau Fire Chief Ted Key. Also in the photo are Chouteau Assistant Chief Eddie Krager (left), TIC/Kiewit Senior Safety Manager Christopher Norton and GRDA Director of Business Development and Marketing Grant Burget (far right). GRDA gave the Chouteau Fire Department the $15,000 grant to help equip a new truck. The bulk of GRDA’s workforce is at the Grand River Energy Center, located just east of Chouteau, on the southern edge of the MidAmerica Industrial Park.
At the Grand River Dam Authority, we want to salute these men and women who put their lives on their line both as full-time and volunteer firemen. They battle the smoke, heat and flames to protect us and our property and we appreciate all that they do. In fact, with GRDA’s 1,200-plus miles of high voltage electric lines stretching across Oklahoma, there have been many time over the years when the efforts of firemen have helped to protect our lines and our rights-of-way.
GRDA is also proud to count many volunteer firemen among our own work force. At volunteer departments all across the area, we have employees who donate their own time, away from work, to help protect their own communities and their neighbors.
Earlier this month, we were also able to make a $15,000 grant to the Chouteau Fire Department. The department will use those funds to help outfit a new truck, which could be used someday to fight fires and respond to emergencies at places like GRDA’s Grand River Energy Center (on the southern edge of the MidAmerica Industrial Park).
Helping departments like this one, and others in the past, is one way that GRDA strives to be a powerful partner for Oklahoma communities, including those where our employees live, work and play.
Headquartered in Vinita, GRDA is Oklahoma’s state-owned electric utility; fully funded by revenues from electric and water sales instead of taxes. Each day, GRDA strives to be an “Oklahoma agency of excellence” by focusing on the 5 E’s: electricity, economic development, environmental stewardship, employees and efficiency.
GRDA: Proud to support Oklahoma’s firefighters
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