Jenks Acting Fire Chief, Assistant Chief Greg Ostrum, told city council members Wednesday night the grant is not tied to Phillips 66’s butane storage project, even though the money came from the oil company.
There are several homes, a school and businesses near the tank farm.
Citizens started circulating a petition demanding the city council reconsider the plan.
Homeowners against the butane tank are concerned about the potential danger.
The council voted in favor Wednesday to accept $40,000 in grant money from Phillips 66 and couple it with tax dollars.
Ostrum told the council the grant specifically funded firefighter training for confined spaces and rope rescues.
Councilors questioned whether the grant could go towards a specific training program the department needed but still voted to approve the grant.
The city said it would ask Phillips 66 if it can amend where grant funding goes.
Ostrum said his department does have an invite from Phillips 66 to train in Houston.
Phillips 66 told 2 Works For You in a statement:
We routinely reach out to organizations and agencies in the communities where our employees live and work to seek opportunities to enhance public safety, education and literacy, and the environment. We identified an opportunity to help the Jenks Fire Department with their training needs and made a philanthropic donation to assist with the cost of that training.
The petition organizer of Keep Jenks Safe said he plans to bring 500 signatures at the next council meeting.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Download our free app for Apple and Android and Kindle devices.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.
