LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Fire Protection District received a large donation this week that will help update critical equipment.

At its Tuesday meeting, the district's board of directors accepted a check for $26,000 from the Lakeport Volunteer Firefighters Association.

The Lakeport Volunteer Firefighters Association has a long and proud history of supporting the fire district through fundraising, primarily the association’s annual dinner dance auction held each October. 

Proceeds from this extremely popular annual event go toward supporting the district and the association’s Matt Black Memorial Scholarship Fund.

This year’s $26,000 donation is being used by the district to upgrade breathing apparatus to provide improved safety and functionality for firefighters when they are working in hazardous environments.

Fire Chief Doug Hutchison told Lake County News that the funds will cover 30 complete breathing apparatus units, each with an additional air cylinder, 10 additional masks, two rapid intervention crew kits and upgrades to the air cascade truck to be able to fill the new high pressure bottles.