$50,000 Donation to the Roger Baldwin Foundation of the ACLU

$25,000 Donation to POWER

$3,000 Donation to Local Choir and St. Mary Parish

$10,000 Donation to the Hispanic Heritage Organization

IPA Charities Has Contributed $2,500 to the Chicago Foundation for Women.

Special Olympics

Martin Luther King Dinner

Red Cross

Hispanic Heritage

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center

Columbine Memorial

Operation Hope

Operation HOPE’s Banking On Our Future (BOOF) Program

International Profit Associates Donates Emergency Diving Equipment to Local Fire Department

International Profit Associates (IPA-IBA) recently donated emergency diving equipment to the Long Grove Fire Protection District (LGFPD). The equipment that consisted of 4 Interspiro Divator MkII full masks with an OTS Mk-7 communications system which included four ear and microphone sets, two 200 foot communications ropes and the MK-7 buddyline 2-diver intercom.

The donation will assist the Long Grove Fire Department’s current emphasis on improving its services to the community, such as adding specialized rescue services and joining the Lake County Specialized rescue teams. These activities add a significant burden to the organization because the high cost of such equipment impacts the operational budget as a whole. Contributions allow the department to improve the scope and quality of their services to the community without making sacrifices in the operational budget.

The Lake County Dive team requires its divers to be as completely encapsulated as possible due to the contamination of local ponds and lakes. It also requires communication capability to discuss and change tactics, warn divers of unseen dangers, request additional assistance or summon help if the diver becomes entangled or has another emergency below the surface.

"We are grateful for International Profit Associates’ donation because it allows us to comply with safety standards to perform our jobs while decreasing risk," said Lieutenant Mark Gates of the LGFPD. "The full face mask provides protection from the contamination of local ponds and lakes and the communication system provides a greater safety factor should anyone need assistance while under water."

On Friday, March 11, 2005, members of the LGFD presented John R. Burgess, Founder and Managing Director of IPA-IBA with an award for his donation and generous support of the department.

"We’re pleased to support the Long Grove Fire Department with this donation, " said Burgess. "By adding services without impacting operational funding, we know the capabilities of the LGFPD will be improved and enhanced."

The Long Grove Fire Protection District was established in 1929 as a volunteer organization until 1990 when it introduced full-time firefighter paramedics combined with paid-on-call staff to meet personnel needs. In 1999, the LGFPD expanded its staff to five firefighters for each 24-hour shift with at least three state certified paramedics. The current full time staff of 16 is supplemented with paid-on-call staff of 15. The department has been seeking alternative funding to accommodate the increased demands on the fire service as a whole. The department has recently received federal and state grants for large scale projects.