BYRON, Ill. (WTVO) — The Byron Fire Protection District has added new tools to its arsenal, thanks to a grant from Firehouse Subs.

Firehouse Subs donated more than $25,000 to the fire department, which was used to buy battery powered tools that can be used to extract victims from crashed vehicles.

The new tools will replace corded equipment that is more than 35 years old, the department said.

The new gear is both more powerful and can cut through the hardened steel found in modern vehicles.

Byron’s Interim Fire Chief Andy Politsch says the grant will help keep the department’s budget intact, without placing a burden on taxpayers.

“We do have budgets that we have to stick to. So, whenever we can get help through a foundation like Firehouse Subs, it helps us out tremendously, because we still need to upgrade our equipment and if that’s not in the budget, it makes it hard to try to find the money. So, with their help, it makes my job as the chief and sticking with the budget and being fiscally responsible for the citizens tremendously easy,” he said.

The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation has granted more than $2 million to first responders across Illinois, with more than $83,000 of that money being spent in the stateline area.