$185K Donation by Citizen is Largest in Jamestown, ND, Fire Dept. History

Feb. 15—JAMESTOWN — Clarice Liechty recently donated $185,000 to the Jamestown Fire Department for new turnout gear and equipment to care for it.

It's the largest donation by a citizen to the department, according to records of the city of Jamestown.

Liechty said she and her late husband, Reuben, were blessed in life in business and always believed in helping locally, gifting and tithing. She said they believed it was their responsibility and calling in life to gift money because other people know how to do the work that needs to be done. In this case, the fire department needed money so Fire Chief Jim Reuther and the firemen can do the work they have to do, she said.

"So that's kind of our emphasis for giving that — and fire equipment is very important in order to keep the firemen safe ... ," she said.

Gifting funds so others can do their work is beneficial for all, Liechty said.

"We don't know how to do the work that they do," she said. "I don't know how to do the work that the fire department does. I don't know how to do the work that they do at the University of Jamestown or the Anne Carlsen Center but we can give money so the project can move along. It's our role in life. It's our calling in life."

Liechty said firefighting men and women have done an "outstanding job" for the city of Jamestown and in assisting the Jamestown Rural Fire Department.

"I wouldn't have ever expected something like this, whatsoever," Reuther said of the donation. "It has taken a lot of pressure off of me to try to figure out how to replace this equipment. And Clarice just stepped up to the plate — she made a dream come true ... it's what it's all about when it comes down to it."

Reuther applied for a $185,000 federal grant through the Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program in December for 26 sets of turnout gear. He said the Jamestown Fire Department's turnout gear is 16 years old and should be replaced after 10 years, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

"It's personal protection equipment, which is the pants, the coat, boots, helmets, gloves ... and hood," Reuther said. "It's basically the entire ensemble for the firefighter to protect themselves from hazards, fires."

The grant application also included funding for washer and dryer equipment specifically for the gear, he said, which Liechty's donation will also provide.

"We have never had the dryer, we have a commercial wash machine that we use now, which at the time was intended for it but it's also just about ... 28 years old," Reuther said.

When Liechty learned Reuther was working on a grant application, she asked for the details, he said, and he sent her the information. She felt it was important to provide the money when she learned about the need, he said.

"Her biggest concern was ... she says, 'Jim, I don't want your firefighters to wait, they need their new gear,'" Reuther said.

"I'm just so overwhelmed that it's hard to say how I really feel," he said. "She made things possible that I don't know how soon we would have been able to replace this equipment without receiving that grant. Bless her heart, that's all I can say."

The donation also took the pressure off the City Council to find the money for the equipment, Reuther said, saving taxpayers money as well.

"The rest of the community is not going to have come up with this (funding)," he said.

Reuther is preparing specifications to get bids for the equipment and hopes to have the new turnout gear by midsummer or fall, he said.

Jamestown Mayor Dwaine Heinrich said Liechty's "beyond generous donation" to the fire department continues the positive impact she and Reuben have had on the community for many years.

"This gift is very heartwarming to Fire Chief Jim Ruether and his department as it also serves to demonstrate the respect she has for his leadership and appreciation for a job well done," Heinrich said.

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