Letcher County volunteer firefighters get new gear thanks to grant

By
Tom Kenny
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Eight volunteer fire departments in Letcher County receive new turnout gear thanks to a grant from Kentucky Power's American Electric Power Foundation 4-16-19

WHITESBURG, Ky. (WTVQ) – Eight volunteer fire departments in Letcher County received five new sets of turnout gear thanks to a grant from the American Electric Power Foundation.

The gear was purchased with a $61,160 grant presented by Kentucky Power.  The company has pledged 100 acts of appreciation to say thanks during its 100th anniversary in 2019.

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Each of the eight non-profit fire departments in the county received five new sets of gear:  Colson, Cumberland, Gordon, Kingscreek, Letcher, Mayking, Neon and Sandlick.

“Our local fire departments are a vital part of our communities and often are staffed with volunteers who have full-time jobs, too,” said Kentucky Power President Brett Mattison.  “They are responding to more and more dangerous situations and have limited funding to replace essential equipment.  This grant expresses our gratitude for the critical job they do every day and the value they add to our communities.”

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Tom Kenny
Tom Kenny joined ABC 36 News in June of 2001 as a General Assignment Reporter. A native of Peoria, Illinois, he graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Western Illinois University. He currently anchors ABC 36 News at 5pm, 6pm and 11pm. Tom has more than three decades of experience in broadcast journalism. He is the only broadcast journalist in Lexington television history to be honored with a national Edward R. Murrow Award. Tom was recognized for reporting on a story that gave a rare glimpse inside the secretive world of the Federal Witness Protection Program. He has won an Emmy Award for anchoring and another for investigative reporting, exposing the deceit and potential danger of online diploma mills. Tom has ten other Emmy nominations to his credit for investigative and feature reporting. He has won Associated Press Awards for reporting and anchoring. He has won two Addy Awards for excellence in promotional writing. Tom was the first broadcast journalist in Lexington TV history to be awarded the Silver Circle Award by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. It is one of the highest honors given by NATAS. It recognizes television professionals who have performed distinguished service within the television industry for 25-years or more. Tom was honored for more than his longevity, he was recognized for making an enduring contribution to the vitality of the television industry and for setting high standards of achievement. He was also recognized for giving back to the community as a mentor, educator and volunteer. Tom also has network broadcast experience in radio and television having worked as a sports reporter for ESPN, Sportschannel, NBC Sports and the Breeders’ Cup. He was also the studio host and halftime producer for CBS Radio Sports’ College Football Game of the Week and covered the NFL for One-On-One Radio Sports. Prior to joining WTVQ-TV, Tom was Vice-President of the Houston Astros Minor League baseball team in Lexington. He was part of the original management team that brought professional baseball back to the Bluegrass after a nearly 50-year absence. Tom has lived in Lexington since 1984. In that time, he has been heavily involved with dozens of charity and civic groups, with a special emphasis on helping Veterans. He can be reached at tkenny@wtvq.com. You can also follow Tom on Facebook www.facebook.com/TomKennyABC and Twitter @TomKennyNews. Just click on the links at the top of the page.