Local VFD awarded Firehouse Subs grant

TODD MISSION - Todd Mission Volunteer Fire Department is one of the busiest volunteer stations in their county. Yet, due to budget constraints and the increased cost of protective gear, the department was literally running out of breathing room. 

Cancer is currently the most dangerous threat to firefighters’ health and safety. Exposure to carcinogens and other harmful chemicals put firefighters at a significantly higher risk for some types of cancer than the general population, according to the Firefighter Cancer Support Network. 

On-scene, firefighters use self-contained breathing apparatuses, or SCBA cylinders, to protect themselves from inhaling harmful chemicals. These are critical pieces of equipment that every firefighter should use on every hazardous scene. With 30 active crew members, Todd Mission VFD is the largest in the county, yet they’ve been operating with just 12 SCBA cylinders for the past six months, with four of those set to expire at the end of the year.

Now, thanks to a $24,987 grant from Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, Todd Mission VFD is equipped with 19 new SCBA cylinders, allowing them to continue responding to  emergency situations while keeping both themselves and the community protected. 

“Our job is to keep our citizens safe and in order to do that, we need to keep our crew safe as well,” said Todd Mission Fire Chief, Cassandra Godfrey. “With four of our current cylinders set to expire at the end of the year, we were dangerously close to being unable to operate. We can’t thank Firehouse Subs and Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation enough for this grant.”

Proceeds from purchases made at U.S. Firehouse Subs restaurants provided the funding for this grant award. To date, Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation has granted more than $4.5 million to local heroes in Texas, including over $1.2 million in the Houston area alone.