Worthing Fire Department receives LACF grant for rescue tools

The WCFD was recently awarded the Lennox Area Community Grant. LACF representatives and Worthing Fire Department members are pictured above.

The Worthing Community Fire Department has been awarded a $2,000 grant from the Lennox Area Community Fund (LACF). The funding is part of LACF’s 2025 grant cycle, which supported eight local organizations this year. Other recipients include the Lennox Area Historical Society, Junior Achievement, Lennox Ambulance, Lincoln County 4-H, City of Worthing, Olde Towne Dinner Theatre, and the Chancellor Fire Department.

In its application, the Worthing Fire Department noted the need to purchase new power tools that will expand its current set of extrication equipment. These tools are designed to improve efficiency during rescues, such as removing victims from crashed vehicles or freeing individuals trapped in grain bins.

Extrication tools are vital in emergencies where patients must be removed quickly and with minimal movement to avoid further injury. Firefighters recently trained at South Dakota State Fire School on grain bin entrapment rescues, learning that battery-powered tools like reciprocating saws can safely release grain without the risks involved in activating a bin’s auger.

The department covers a significant stretch of Interstate 29, where vehicle accidents often require patient extrication. The new tools—compact, portable, and powered by Milwaukee M18 rechargeable batteries—are compatible with WCFD’s existing equipment, reducing firefighter fatigue and improving response efficiency. The department also provides mutual aid across Lincoln County, frequently assisting neighboring communities during large-scale accidents.

“These are tools we hope we don’t have to use, because that means someone is trapped,” the department noted in its application. “But realistically, they are a vital resource we will need to ensure patients can be freed and receive emergency medical care.”

The power tools are expected to last up to 15 years, and the department has established accounts to help fund future equipment updates.

Since 2004, the LACF has supported nonprofits in Lennox, Chancellor, and Worthing through donor contributions. Community members are encouraged to learn more or contribute at lennoxareacommunityfund.org.

Local nonprofits are reminded that the annual deadline for LACF grant applications is in early August. Next week’s edition will highlight additional grant recipients from this year’s funding cycle.