Sumter EMC donates ‘Freddy the Fire Truck’ robotic mascot to Sumter Co. Fire and Rescue

AMERICUS, Ga. – I’m here outside Sumter EMC where they just made a big donation to the Sumter Fire Department…

One the kids will love, it’s a new mascot!

Meet ‘Freddy the Fire Truck,’ a robotic mascot that will be traveling across south Georgia.

Freddy comes equipped with blinking eyes, red lights, and a voice box that lets the chief communicate from different rooms, making fire safety an exciting and interactive experience for kids.

All of this wouldn’t be possible without donations, with the biggest contribution coming from Sumter Electric Membership Corporation.

They saw ‘Freddy’ as a valuable tool to help teach safety to kids in surrounding counties.

Sumter EMC is no stranger to giving back. They’ve donated $1.3 million to nonprofits in south Georgia.

“Sumter EMC Foundation is mostly founded by operation round up and what that is, is our members. By rounding their power bill to the next whole dollar. So, it may just be a few cents added to their bill. But that change together makes a huge difference in the 11 counties that we serve. So, we would encourage everyone to sign up. We love giving back to our community and it’s one small part. Operation Round Up, you can sign up online or call our office and we’ll add you to that,” said Andrea Walker, Foundation Chairman.

‘Freddy the Fire Truck’ will be making his rounds around south Georgia.

So… if you want to see him at your event or school…

Reach out to Sumter Co. Fire and Rescue.

Gabe Hutton reporting.

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