More than $110,000 has been awarded this year to 112 Illinois fire departments and districts through Illinois American Water’s Firefighter Grant Program.

Oswego and Plainfield fire protection districts were among those chosen for funds, according to an announcement from Illinois American Water.

Illinois American Water’s Firefighter Grant Program provides funding for organizations to purchase personal protective gear, communications equipment, firefighting tools, water handling equipment, training materials and provide community education, according to the announcement.

“Illinois American Water knows how crucial water is for protecting homes and businesses,” Rebecca Losli, president of Illinois American Water, said in the news release.

“Through our partnerships with local fire departments, we learn about the constantly evolving challenges firefighters must overcome to keep our communities safe in emergency situations. We created the Firefighter Grant Program to support our first responders and help them care for and educate our communities about fire safety,” Losli said.

Since the initiative began in 2010, nearly 1,200 grants totaling over $1 million dollars have been granted to fire and emergency organizations serving customers in Illinois American Water’s service area, according to the release.