PEORIA, Ill. – A relatively new local employer that just went through a rough patch a couple months ago is still making good on a promise to help the Peoria Fire Department.
BioUrja is donating five specialized suits for firefighters to use when in hazardous materials situations — called “proximity suits.”
“It basically allows firefighters to get closer to fires that put off extremely high temperatures,” said Nate Rice, Peoria Fire Division Chief for Fire Prevention. “Your typical house fire will be about 1,200 degrees. Some flammable liquids can give in excess of 2,000 degrees temperatures when they burn.”
The discussions about such a donation started before the explosion and fires of several months ago.
“We, obviously, are an ethanol plant here. We do have flammable liquids here. It was a good synergy to make sense,” said Mark Reznik, BioUrja Peoria plant manager.
Reznik, who declined to talk about the accident of several months ago, did say that operations at the plant are pretty much back to normal.
Each suit would otherwise cost around $3,000, Rice said.
BioUrja took over operation of the plant last November. It previously was owned by ADM.
