Today, Ameren Illinois presented the Village of Moweaqua with the keys to a 2006 Freightliner truck the utility is donating to the Village. The 64-foot aerial bucket truck was rotated out of the Ameren Illinois fleet upon the retirement of Moweaqua resident Jon King.
The company also awarded the Village with a $2,500 contribution to help the fire department build a new training facility.
“We always say Ameren Illinois co-workers not only work in the community but we live here, too, and that is the case for Jon,” Ameren Illinois Senior Vice President of Operations and Technical Services Ron Pate said. “Shortly after Jon announced his retirement, he approached me with the idea to retire his truck and donate it to his hometown, which was in need of a bucket truck. I am glad we are able to make the contribution possible. I know the Village of Moweaqua will put the truck to good use.”
Ameren Illinois has nearly 3,300 vehicles, including trailers and equipment, in its fleet. Trucks that are rotated out of the fleet that require minimal repairs or refurbishing can be made available for donation to a local municipality or community organization.
“For a community of our size, this is a major asset to acquire,” Village Mayor Steve Ruot said. “It’s in great condition. We are grateful to Ameren Illinois for their generosity.”
During the event, held at the fire department on Tuesday, Pate also awarded the Moweaqua Community Fire Protection District with a grant to support the construction of a new training building. Once constructed, the building will help the department be better prepared for emergencies, while making the community safer as they gain training opportunities that were only available at larger cities and on the University of Illinois campus in Urbana.
“Moweaqua Fire Protection District is grateful for this generous grant that will be used towards the construction of our fire department training building,” said Chief Ramiro Estrada. “Not only will this serve the Moweaqua Fire Department, but it will serve for a training center for our village police department, our neighboring mutual aid fire departments, and can be used for larger training classes with the Cornerstone Classes that the Illinois Fire Institute has available.”
The grant funds were made available through the Ameren Cares program, which connects Ameren Illinois with the communities it serves through charitable giving and volunteering.
About Ameren Illinois
Ameren Illinois delivers energy to 1.2 million electric and 816,000 natural gas customers in downstate Illinois, and our mission is to power the quality of life. Our service territory covers more than 1,200 communities and 43,700 square miles. For more information, visit AmerenIllinois.com. Follow us on Twitter @AmerenIllinois and Facebook.