Key points at a glance
- The WPS Foundation is providing $75,000 through its Rewarding Responders Grant.
- The funding is helping first responders receive lifesaving equipment or training.
- Grants are part of WPS and the WPS Foundation’s focus on enhancing safety.
The Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) Foundation is giving first responders important new tools to keep their communities safe. The foundation is awarding a total of $75,000 to help police, fire and emergency medical services (EMS) agencies acquire lifesaving equipment and improve safety in communities across northeast and north-central Wisconsin.
“We are honored to support the everyday heroes in our communities and their relentless dedication to keeping everyone safe,” said Beth Straka, president — WPS Foundation. “These grants mean more than just new equipment or one-time training sessions. Their true impact is felt when seconds are saved, damage is prevented and people’s lives return to normal because first responders had the tools they needed to prevent serious harm.”
The funding is part of the WPS Foundation’s Rewarding Responders Grant program. Including this year’s grants, the WPS Foundation has now donated more than $750,000 to help first responders improve public safety since the program began in 2014.
Helping first responders enhance safety for everyone
WPS focuses on safety for its employees, customers and communities every day. The WPS Foundation’s Rewarding Responders Grant program supports local first responders who share this commitment to keeping everyone safe.
The program helps police, fire and EMS agencies acquire lifesaving equipment or important training to improve public safety. This year’s grants are helping first responders receive dozens of critical tools, from pedestrian safety signs and protective clothing to heavy-duty rescue saws.
New lifesaving equipment presented
The WPS Foundation selected the Minocqua Fire and Rescue Department and Howard Fire Rescue Department as two of this year’s grant recipients. WPS Foundation representatives visited with both agencies, unveiling new emergency medical supplies for the Minocqua Fire and Rescue Department, and new personal radiation detection devices for the Howard Fire Rescue Department.
“These supplies for our emergency response kit will enable us to immediately triage and treat victims of an active threat or an accident where multiple people are injured,” said Rich Carani, fire chief — Minocqua Fire and Rescue Department. “The WPS Foundation’s Rewarding Responders Grant comes to us at a time when we are facing a new challenge in public safety. This grant means we are able to purchase the equipment we need to respond quickly and treat members of the public when needed.”
Receiving this grant allows our department to invest in specialized equipment that enhances responder safety and strengthens our ability to protect the community,” said Jeff Steinhorst, assistant fire chief — Howard Fire Rescue Department. “We are grateful for organizations that recognize the importance of investing in first responders, and their support helps ensure our community remains prepared for both everyday emergencies and low-frequency, high-consequence incidents.”
Grant recipients
The 2026 grant recipients include:
- City of Manitowoc Police Department — Pedestrian safety signs
- City of Peshtigo Fire Department — Thermal imaging cameras
- City of Wausau Fire Department — Electrical hazard detection units
- Chilton Fire Department — Rescue chainsaw
- Cleveland Fire Department — Heavy-duty rescue saw
- Cleveland Police Department — Automated external defibrillator (AED)
- Crandon Area Rescue Squad — Pulse oximetry and carbon monoxide monitors
- Crescent Volunteer Fire Department — Multi-gas detector
- Denmark Volunteer Fire Department — Illuminated traffic safety signs
- Emergency Rescue Squad Inc. — EMS communication radios
- Edgar Police Department — Illuminated pedestrian crosswalk signs
- Greenbush Fire Department — Rope and pulley rescue system
- Hobart-Lawrence Police Department — Public safety drone equipment upgrade
- Hollandtown Fire Department — Fire hose nozzle upgrade
- Howard Fire Rescue Department — Personal radiation detection devices
- Kronenwetter Fire Department — Thermal imaging camera
- Lac du Flambeau Fire and Ambulance — Firefighter breathing apparatus tanks
- Langlade County Sheriff’s Office — Emergency response training for officers
- Luxemburg Community Fire Department — AED
- Luxemburg Police Department — Protective vests for officers
- Minocqua Fire and Rescue Department — Emergency kit medical supplies
- Mishicot Fire Department — New fire hose
- Mount Calvary Ambulance Services Inc. — Emergency response pagers
- New Franken Fire Department — Structural firefighting gloves
- Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department — Firefighting hose nozzle
- Oconto Police Department — Safe transport restraint system
- Stevens Point Police Department — Rechargeable LED flashlights
- Stockton Fire Department — Thermal imaging cameras
- Three Lakes Fire Department — Firefighter communication radios
- Tomahawk Police Department — Automated external defibrillator (AED)
- Town of Antigo Volunteer Fire Department — Multi-gas detector
- Town of Dewey Fire and EMS Department — Thermal imaging camera
- Town of Hull Fire Department — Emergency scene safety lights
- Town of Russell EMS Department — Automated external defibrillator
- Town of Wausau Fire Department — Community fire extinguisher training
- Town of Winchester Fire Department — Protective firefighting clothing
- Twin Bridge Rescue Inc. — Automated external defibrillators (AEDs)
- University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Police Department — Mobile safety monitoring trailer
- Winnebago County Emergency Management — Integrated emergency preparedness and response training
- Wisconsin K9 Response Team — Water search equipment upgrade
- Wittman Regional Airport Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting — Heavy-duty rescue tools
About the Rewarding Responders Grant
The WPS Foundation offers its Rewarding Responders Grant each year to emergency response agencies that operate in the WPS service area. Eligible agencies can apply for up to $2,000 in funding through the grant. Since the program began, the WPS Foundation has helped nearly 240 individual agencies through the grant.