Dakota Access Pipeline, LLC is donating $20,000 to each Emergency Management Agency across South Dakota in the counties through which the pipeline travels, totaling $260,000. With the aim of helping first responders, each county is encouraged to use the funds where they need it most. A check presentation was held yesterday evening at the Beadle County Courthouse.
Dakota Access is making similar donations to county emergency management agencies across its four-state route, totaling $1 million across 50 counties in North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois.
“This donation will be greatly appreciated by all six of our volunteer fire departments,” said Taylor Jans, Emergency Management Coordinator for Beadle County. “Each department will be able to use the funds based on their specific needs.”
“We appreciate that Dakota Access Pipeline cares about maintaining their relationships in each county,” said Larry Tebben, Emergency Management Coordinator for Spink County. “We plan to split the donation funds between the Tulare and Redfield Rural volunteer fire departments and our Emergency Management Agency. We’re looking at buying new radios, personal equipment and thermal imagining equipment for the county’s drone.”
“Kingsbury County has six fire departments that will all benefit from this donation,” said Cindy Bau, Emergency Management Coordinator for Kingsbury County. “We may use the funds to upgrade their communications equipment or to purchase a different system for the county’s cascade (air compressor) trailer.’
“We plan to upgrade the digital radio systems for our four fire departments and Emergency Management Agency,” said Kent Terwilliger, Emergency Management Coordinator for Miner County. “Donations like this make a big difference for public safety.”
Dakota Access Pipeline traverses approximately 101 miles through Spink, Beadle, Kingsbury and Miner counties in South Dakota. The company will also be donating to the South Dakota FFA Foundation. It had made a similar donation of $1 million to county EMAs after it went into service in 2017.