National First Responders Day: Marathon Petroleum invests in public safety

On Oct. 28, we celebrate National First Responders Day, a day to honor the brave women and men who put their lives on the line every day to keep others safe. That appreciation and support has been a year-round effort in 2021 for Marathon Petroleum's Catlettsburg, Kentucky refinery, assisting multiple public safety agencies with some much-needed safety enhancements in the many communities we proudly serve.

Those investments include a recent $40,000 grant to purchase an emergency response vehicle for the American Red Cross Central Appalachia Regionthat will support the chapter's biomedical and humanitarian needs. Crews will be able to deliver lifesaving services to 77 counties in Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland.

"This vehicle is a game-changer for our agency and for the Tri-State region as a whole," said Jeffrey Hornyak, Regional Philanthropy Officer, American Red Cross Central Appalachia. "We can't thank the Catlettsburg refinery enough for their continued support to help us provide critical services to those affected by disasters big and small."

A second public safety-related grant was awarded to the Ashland - Boyd County - Catlettsburg Office of Emergency Managementto cover the purchase of a side-by-side utility task vehicle (UTV) and accessories for multi-hazard disaster response efforts in the Kentucky cities of Ashland and Catlettsburg, serving more than 50,000 residents. 

"The recent ice storms our region experienced exposed the need to upgrade our emergency response tools and resources, including our outdated UTV that was more than ten years old," said Tim England, Executive Director, Ashland - Boyd County - Catlettsburg Office of Emergency Management. "We work closely with Marathon's safety team to provide our shared communities with the emergency services they deserve and expect from us-so this donation is a win-win for all of us." 

The Westwood Fire Districtin Ashland, Kentucky, was also awarded a public safety grant this year to provide the department with an operational upgrade by replacing the department's damaged, expired or unrepairable equipment.

"We work closely with all of these public safety agencies-we even train with them," said Jay Richert, General Manager of the Catlettsburg refinery. "Together, we are committed to making our communities stronger, safer, and thriving places to live, work and play."