Firefighters in Neola will be able to move their fingers this winter. The Neola Volunteer Fire Department will purchase 20 pairs of the specially-made gloves that won’t freeze while crews battle fires in cold weather. “It’ll be a big help. They won’t freeze,” Neola Fire Chief Paul Ward said. “We had a fire in Persia (last winter), our gloves were freezing from the water.” The gloves can be used year-round, as well. Walnut Communications recently awarded the department a Growing Communities Grant for $900 to use toward the purchase of the gloves, which cost about $95 per set. “Fantastic,” Ward said of the grant. “This is phenomenal for us. We only get so much of a budget in a year and we have to stay within that budget. This helps.” The department has 21 members and serves the city of Neola as well as portions of Pottawattamie and Harrison counties. The department covers about 83 square miles in the counties, along with 38 miles on Interstates 80 and 680.