The City of Indianola is excited to announce that the Indianola Fire Department, Indianola Parks and Recreation and the Indianola Police Department are proud recipients of a 2025 Warren County Philanthropic Partnership Community Grant, as unveiled Tuesday, April 29, during a celebratory event at the Peoples Bank Administration Building.
The Warren County Philanthropic Partnership was organized to promote and enhance community-based philanthropy in Warren County. It recently received a state award to facilitate endowment building and grantmaking.
The contribution to the foundation was made possible by the Iowa General Assembly, the Warren County Philanthropic Partnership said. In 2004, the Iowa Legislature passed several bills to encourage foundation building and community-based philanthropy. Among these measures was House File 2032, which provided that non-gambling counties, initiating a county-wide community foundation, would be eligible to receive one-half of 1% of the state’s gross gambling tax receipts.
According to Warren County Philanthropic Partnership, 47 grant applications were received for this year’s cycle. Twenty-three organizations across Warren County shared in the funding allocations, totaling more than $110,000 in grant awards.
Learn more about each of the projects that the Indianola Fire Department, Indianola Parks and Recreation and the Indianola Police Department will be supported by these grants.
Indianola Fire Department
Fitness Equipment: $3,772 Grant
This project sought funding to purchase new equipment and replace broken items at the Indianola Fire Department’s fitness facility. Maintaining peak physical fitness is a critical part of a firefighter’s readiness, given the strenuous and demanding nature of the job.
The fitness equipment selected for this project is built for long-term use and will serve the department for many years. By choosing durable, high-quality products, as well as implementing regular maintenance and structured fitness programs, the department will ensure that the equipment remains in service with minimal upkeep.
Updated equipment will directly support firefighter wellness, helping to prevent injuries and improving overall operational performance. The facility is also available for use by the Indianola Police Department and City of Indianola employees during designated times, maximizing its impact.
Indianola Parks & Recreation
Angel Devices: $2,829 Grant
This project sought funding to implement angel devices at the Indianola Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center (VMAC) and other swimming facilities to enhance lifeguard training and improve swimmer safety. In 2024, VMAC served nearly 28,000 individuals, often hosting up to 500 swimmers in the water at once. Monitoring such a large volume of swimmers presents significant challenges, with factors like sun glare, water movement and high swimmer density creating potential blind spots for lifeguards.
Angel devices are scientifically designed tools that audit lifeguard surveillance zones and improve zone coverage. The devices can help with confirming appropriate zone boundaries and lifeguard stand placement, validating stand height for optimal and identifying and eliminating environmental blind spots that could delay emergency responses.
By incorporating these devices into training procedures, VMAC and Indianola Parks and Recreation staff can provide data-driven feedback that can improve lifeguard effectiveness and faster recognition of emergencies.
Indianola Police Department
Unmanned Aircraft System Equipment: $2,100 Grant
This project sought funding for the purchase of two DJI Avata 2 drones to expand the Indianola Police Department’s Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) program. Launched in June 2023, the department’s UAS program currently operates two outdoor drones – DJI Matrice 30T and DJI Mavic 3 – flown by five pilots who are Part 107-certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Since the inception of the program, IPD has completed over 50 real-world missions by supporting search-and-rescue operations, mental health calls, fire structure assessments and attempts to locate wanted persons. Currently, the department’s outdoor drones are equipped with thermal imaging, active tracking and zoom capabilities, however, they are not suited for indoor flight operations.
The DJI Avata 2 drones will allow officers to safely conduct indoor flight operations, providing critical situational awareness without exposing officers or civilians to unnecessary danger. The equipment can also assist officers in their assessment of environments before entry, improving tactical decision-making and reducing the chance of injury.
The expansion of the department’s UAS program to include the DJI Avata 2 drones will significantly enhance operational effectiveness across a wide range of incident types and ultimately protect both the public and law enforcement personnel.
Learn More Information
To learn more about the Indianola Fire Department, Indianola Police Department and the Indianola Public Library, please visit their websites at:
To learn more about the Warren County Philanthropic Partnership, please visit www.warrencountypp.org.