Anheuser-Busch and National Volunteer Fire Council donate canned water to Vilonia Fire Department
City of Vilonia Fire Department recently received a donation of canned emergency drinking water from leading brewer Anheuser-Busch to help keep its responders hydrated as they battle wildfires this season. On July 20, 2023, one pallet totaling 2,184 cans of water was dropped off by local Anheuser-Busch wholesaler partner, Golden Eagle of Arkansas. The water will help maintain firefighters' hydration during long incidents or disasters such as wildfires, which is a major safety concern for many departments.
Vilonia Fire currently has 26 firefighters and five Junior firefighters and serve approximately 10,000 residents in a 50 square mile district. The department runs over 1,200 incidents yearly.
"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 Chief Keith Hillman. "Thanks to this water donation from Anheuser-Busch and the National Volunteer Fire Council, we now have the resources to keep our firefighters 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. Since 1988, the brewer has donated more than 90 million cans of emergency drinking water to communities impacted by natural disasters and other crises.
Building on this commitment, the brewer teamed up with the NVFC - the leading nonprofit membership association representing the interests of the volunteer fire, emergency medical, and rescue services - in 2019 to provide emergency drinking water to help firefighters stay hydrated and healthy when responding to wildfires and large incidents. To date, the program has donated nearly 6.5 million cans of water to more than 1,400 volunteer fire departments across nearly all 50 states.
Learn more about the program at www.nvfc.org/water.
About Anheuser-Busch
At Anheuser-Busch, our purpose is to create a future with more cheers. We are always looking to serve up new ways to meet life's moments, dream big to move our industry forward, and make a meaningful impact in the world. We hope to build a future that everyone can celebrate, and everyone can share. For more than 160 years, Anheuser-Busch has carried on a legacy of brewing great-tasting, high-quality beers that have satisfied beer drinkers for generations. Today, we own and operate more than 120 facilities, including breweries, wholesaler distribution centers, agricultural facilities and packaging plants, and have more than 19,000 colleagues across the United States. We are home to several of America's most loved beer brands, including Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob ULTRA and Stella Artois, as well as a number of regional brands that provide beer drinkers with a choice of the best-tasting craft beers in the industry. From responsible drinking programs and emergency drinking water donations to industry-leading sustainability efforts, we are guided by our unwavering commitment to supporting the communities we call home. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com or follow Anheuser-Busch on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
About the National Volunteer Fire Council
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is the leading nonprofit membership association representing the interests of the volunteer fire, emergency medical, and rescue services. The NVFC serves as the voice of the volunteer in the national arena and provides critical advocacy, resources, programs, and education for first responders across the nation. Learn more at www.nvfc.org.