Canned water will be used for hydrating firefighters, fire/storm victims

POTTER -- The Potter Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department recently received a donation of canned drinking water from Anheuser-Busch.

On Wednesday July 12, a pallet of about 2,400 cans of water was dropped off by High Plains Beverages. The water will help maintain firefighters’ hydration during long incidents or disasters such as wildfires, which is a major safety concern for many departments.

The Potter Fire District covers the western portion of Cheyenne County, including the Village of Potter. There are about 191,540 acres within the district. Potter Fire District serves approximately 675 people. The fire and rescue department responds to about 150 calls per year with it being split approx. 65 percent rescue/medical and 35 percent fires.

“Firefighters lose a tremendous amount of fluid during high-intensity response such as battling wildfires. Proper hydration is critical to ensure the safety of our firefighters and keep them performing at their best,” said PIO Robert Hilpert. “Thanks to this water donation from Anheuser-Busch and the National Volunteer Fire Council, we now have the resources to keep our firefighters / rescue teams hydrated and ready to respond.”

The water was donated by Anheuser-Busch through a partnership with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC). Anheuser-Busch has a longstanding tradition of pausing beer production each year to provide emergency drinking water and supplies for disaster relief efforts. The production pause enables the company to apply its production and logistics expertise to can clean, safe drinking water that is ready to distribute when disaster strikes.