PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WJHG / WECP) -Monday morning, Chief Financial Officer & State Fire Marshall Jimmy Patronis presented fire chiefs in the area with $ 15,219 in cancer decontamination equipment funding.

“Fires happen every day,” CFO Patronis said. “We are not going to be able to stop them from happening. But we can do everything we can to make sure that our brave first responders have the necessary gear, and equipment to be able to do their jobs safely and live long healthy lives. ”

The grant money will be used to purchase equipment like extractors where firefighters can wash their gear after coming back from a fire.

“It helps our firefighters live a more healthy lifestyle, and cuts down on the possibility of contracting cancer. So it’s a huge benefit for us and for our men and women that work for us, and relief on our budget, ”Panama City Beach Fire Chief, Ray Morgan, said.

“We are very concerned about the safety of our employees, and the lifetime of their career. We want to protect them as much as we can, ”Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport Fire Chief Jerry Swearingen said.

“There is a lot of need out there and so we are going to keep lobbying to try to get additional help out here to try to help our first responders” South Walton Fire District Fire Chief, Ryan Crawford, said “

The three stations awarded grant funds included:

• Panama City Beach Fire Rescue – $ 5,951.40

• Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport Fire Rescue – $ 5,613

• Lynn Haven Fire & Emergency Services – $ 3,655.31

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