GREEN RIVER — The Green River Fire Department was awarded a substantial donation from ExxonMobil Wednesday evening that will go toward replacing aging rescue equipment.

The department received $70,500 from the company as part of a total $255,000 the company is donating to organizations in Sweetwater, Lincoln, and Sublette Counties. Fire Chief Bill Robinson said the donation will be used to replace water rescue, rope rescue and vehicle extrication equipment. He said the GRFD has already received some bids on the new equipment and believes it should be ready for the department within the next 60 days. Robinson said the donations go a long way in helping the department as some of the equipment has been difficult for them to budget for.

The GRFD responds to between 600 and 700 emergency calls a year and serves the western portion of the county, from Green River to the border between Sweetwater and Uinta Counties. The GRFD does more than fight fires too, with the department called to emergencies on Interstate 80, in the Green River, and to locations like Jamestown and Little America.

Jenna Mays, the Wyoming Asset Manager for Exxon Mobil, said the company normally donates $100,000 to communities, but it had a unique opportunity to give more this year through the ExxonMobil Foundation. She said first responders are important to the company and viewed the GRFD’s request as a great opportunity to help the department.

“The work that you all do is just vital … it’s just huge,” Mays told firefighters.