The Brownsville Fire Company received a $2,500 gift from Compeer Home in recognition of its departmentโs selfless service to others. The gift is in honor of National Heroes Day, founded in the aftermath of the Aurora, Colo., theater shooting on July 20, 2012, to pay tribute to everyday heroes โ from first responders to civilians who jump into action without regard to their own safety. Jenifer Oechsner, one of Brownsvilleโs volunteer emergency medical responders, nominated the department.
โWhen I go on a call, Iโm never alone, and when I read about how Compeer Home was recognizing volunteers this Heroes Day, I wanted to give back to everybody,โ Oechsner said. โWeโre very appreciative of this gift. There are so many apparatuses that we need and canโt afford. Weโll get on a call and think, โI wish we had this to help us.โ With this extra funding, we hope we can turn some of those wishes into realities.โ Volunteer fire, rescue and ambulance departments are the backbone to keeping rural communities safe, yet they are often operating with limited resources. Compeer Home, a division of Compeer Financial, launched the National Heroes Day Giveaway this year to champion the vital role volunteer departments play across its 144-county territory in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
