By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

It might look for a minute as if county firefighters are enjoying a cold one while fighting a fire — but those cans emblazoned with an Anheuser-Busch logo contain drinking water.

Marion County firefighters received 98 cases of canned emergency drinking water last week from Anheuser-Busch. The water is for firefighters to drink while fighting fires.

The canned water, delivered by City Beverage in Hutchinson, came about because Lincolnville fire chief Les Kaiser applied for the grant through the brewery’s partnership with the National Volunteer Fire Council.

The water, stored at the Hillsboro fire department, will be used by all county departments.

“Firefighters lose a tremendous amount of fluid during high-intensity responses such as battling wildfire,” Kaiser said. “Ensuring proper hydration is critical to the safety of our firefighters and helps keep them performing at their best. Thanks to this water donation from Anheuser-Busch and the National Volunteer Fire Council, we now have resources to keep our firefighters hydrated and ready to respond.”

Anheuser-Busch started its canned water program in 1988, and has donated more than 90 million cans of water for firefighters, emergency responders, and communities impacted by natural disasters.