Fire Service program shares donated bottled water (2,500 cases!) with local firefighters

Cincinnati State’s Fire Service Technology (FST) program recently received a donation of more than 2,500 cases of bottled water from Blue Triton Distributors, to be shared with fire departments in the Tri-State region.

Drew Tenhundfeld, the FST Lab Manager, said the bottled water could not be sold because it was incorrectly labeled. A volunteer firefighter at the distribution center suggested the alternative use, and reached out to Cincinnati State to help facilitate delivery.

Forty-two skids of bottled water (60 cases of water per skid) were delivered to Station 2 on Este Avenue in Cincinnati, a location used for some Cincinnati State Fire Service classes.

Drew said local fire and emergency services departments that have picked up donated water include Ripley County, Indiana; Hebron and Newport in Kentucky; and Blue Ash, Cheviot, St. Bernard, and Wyoming in Ohio. Several other departments have made arrangements to pick up water in the next few weeks.

The Cincinnati State FST program will keep 120 cases of water for students and instructors who will participate in Live Fire Training and other outdoor training sessions this summer.

Drew said, “The Fire Service Technology program appreciates the donation, and we are happy to share it with the area fire departments.”