FEC Roundup for Safety awards nonprofit grants

Flathead Electric Cooperative’s Roundup for Safety board of directors on Aug. 10 awarded $33,986 in support of community safety projects proposed by nonprofit organizations.

The Libby Police Department also received Roundup for Safety funds to update their nearly obsolete Tasers. Chief Cody Ercanbrack presented on behalf of the department, explaining that the current Tasers are “worn out and less than 25% effective,” which forces officers to use higher levels of physical force.

“Being able to effectively use a Taser drastically drops the chances of excessive or deadly force occurring” Ercanbrack said.

The Roundup directors awarded $7,485 toward new Tasers.

Parents of Peterson Elementary received $4,751 for repairing a fence separating the school’s playground from a busy parking lot. The project is unusual in that the park is owned by the city of Kalispell, accessible by the public, and also the sole play area for the school.

The fence surrounding the playground is severely damaged in multiple locations and completely missing in the after-school pick-up area. Repairing the fence will significantly reduce the risk of children being struck by a vehicle. The Roundup Board of Directors noted with approval that the group is separately fundraising to upgrade the outdated playground equipment.

Other safety grants awarded include: Fellowship Church for playground safety flooring at $5,000, Flathead County 4-H Shooting Sports for heaters at $8,250, and Whitefish Legacy Partners for bear proof trash cans, safety signage at $8,500.

The Roundup for Safety Board will consider September applications through Aug. 31 and vote on them at its Sept. 14 meeting. If your nonprofit is interested in applying for community safety funds, visit www.flatheadelectric.com/roundup or call Courtney Stone at 406-751-1820.