The 2025 MSA and DuPont’s Globe Gear Giveaway has announced its first recipients as Winchester (ID) Volunteer Fire Department and La Sal (UT) Volunteer Fire Department.
Now in its 14th year, the MSA Safety, DuPont Personal Protection and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have teamed up again to provide personal protective equipment to volunteer fire departments in need.
The Giveaway will award 13 departments with four new sets of Globe turnout gear and four new MSA fire helmets each in 2025.
The first 500 applicants also received a one-year NVFC membership, courtesy of MSA.
Winchester Volunteer Fire Department (WVFD) is a small, entirely volunteer department serving approximately 371 residents across 20 square miles in Idaho. The 11-member crew responds to both structure and wildland fires, navigating an area that includes 3,700 acres of forest and farmland.
The department responds to structure and wildland fires, highway incidents and emergencies at facilities like an assisted living center.
All of the department’s turnout gear is over 10 years old, much of it hand-me-down, ill-fitting, or shared among members. Limited funding forces the department to prioritize vehicle maintenance over gear replacement.
WVFD Chief Tim Burke explained that the donation will allow the department to replace dangerously outdated and mismatched gear with properly fitting, modern PPE.
He said: “Knowing your gear and how it fits and works is critical to safely responding to incidents. Near gear will allow firefighters to don equipment quickly and effectively.”
La Sal Volunteer Fire Department serves about 300 residents in the remote mountains of southeastern Utah. Covering 90 square miles, this all-volunteer department of 13 firefighters responds to around 36 calls annually, ranging from vehicle crashes and fires to woodland incidents and medical emergencies.
With only $3,500 in annual revenue, funding comes solely from a single annual fundraiser. The county provides emergency vehicles but does not fund new PPE.
Much of La Sal’s turnout gear is over a decade old, ill-fitting, or mismatched and 10 of the 13 volunteers do not have assigned gear at all.
Training officer Verle Green notes that new, properly fitted gear is vital for firefighter safety and department sustainability.
Green said: “Having new and fitted gear for each volunteer will help ensure the safety of the firefighters.”
He noted how the donated gear will increase safety, improve professionalism and support recruitment and retention as the department continues its essential mission.
The 2025 MSA and DuPont’s Globe Gear Giveaway, now in its 14th year, has announced its first recipients as Winchester Volunteer Fire Department and La Sal Volunteer Fire Department.
