Firehouse Subs owner Damon Kreizenbeck (right) and Area Manager Scott Kinner (center) pose for a photo with Lyon County Sheriff Al McNeil, Commander Rob Hall and Deputies Wayne Hawley and 'Borys' Wednesday in Carson City.
The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office visited Firehouse Subs on Wednesday after the sandwich shop donated nearly $17,000 to its K9 Unit.
Deputies with the Lyon County K9 Unit and Sheriff Al McNeil visited the Carson City restaurant as a thank you for the donation. Firehouse Subs, through its Public Safety Foundation, donated $16,467 to the K9 program, which allowed the department to purchase another dog, pay for training and pay to outfit a patrol vehicle for the K9.
“We are thrilled, we added another law enforcement officer to the community,” said Damon Kreizenbeck, owner of Firehouse Subs. “To see the money come back to the community is great.”
With the money, the department purchased K9 Borys and trained his handler Wayne Hawley.
“It gives greater ability to the department with suppression efforts in methamphetamine and heroin,” McNeil said.
McNeil said they had been looking for private funding for a second dog, and Firehouse Subs was able to help them cover the initial costs of buying the dog.
Firehouse Subs asked patrons to round up on their bill and put out donation jars to raise the money.
The grant was given to the department in the fall, and the dog was trained and brought back to Lyon in November. Wednesday, was the first time the Firehouse Subs staff had the opportunity to meet Borys. Hawley and Borys posed for photos, met the staff and even received a gift basket filled with toys and bones.
“This is the first time we got to meet Borys and we are thrilled, the staff I really excited for it,” said Kreizenbeck.
Lyon County is the third public safety entity to receive grants funded by Firehouse Subs’ program. Both Carson City Fire Department and Sheriff’s Office, and East Fork Fire Department have received life-saving equipment thanks to the restaurant’s generosity.
For the department, the partnership with the Carson City restaurant illustrates the great regional relationship that exists in the area.
“It is important because there is a regional problem (with financial support for law enforcement) and it is good to see a chain restaurant being a part of a regional solution,” McNeil said. “It is huge to have a business step up and lead, it is a good example of what businesses ethos there should be to invest in public safety.”
“We have a great tri-county relationship (with us, Carson City and Douglas County Sheriff’s Offices),” McNeil said.
He also said part of the advantage to that relationship is that when the three agencies work together, they are all on the same page.
“We have that support so when we do work together we are on the same policies and procedures and we know what each other is doing,” McNeil said.