Clinton County Fire Department receives state grant

The Ohio Department of Commerce Division of State Fire Marshal wants to make sure local fire departments have the equipment they need to safeguard lives and property in Ohio.

Chief Deputy Fire Marshal Jeff Leaming and his team visited the Clinton Highland Joint Fire District to award a $10,000 equipment grant this week.

The purpose of the grant program is to offset the cost of equipment to local governments in the state of Ohio.

“This program allows Ohio’s fire departments to get better equipment for their first responders so they can protect their citizens more effectively and stay safe during an emergency,” said Commerce Director Andre Porter.

The stop was one of many on the Division of State Fire Marshal’s ‘Listening Tour’ as their team travels the state to meet with first responders. The tour is important to the Division so that they can thank Ohio’s fire service for being the driving force in last year’s lowest number of fire-related fatalities in 27 years. The team also listens to fire service personnel on how their office can better assist them with their needs.

“These firefighters must have the equipment they need to perform their jobs,” said Chief Deputy Leaming. “We want to make sure each responder will be able to serve fully and return home safely at the end of an emergency. This grant will help enable that.”

The grant and loan programs, along with the other services offered by the Division of State Fire Marshal, demonstrate the ongoing partnership at the state and local levels. The support of the Ohio General Assembly and the current Administration has been instrumental in funding these initiatives.

Local fire departments chosen for the grant were selected based on a variety of criteria, including the fire department’s annual budget, annual number of fire incidents and the resident population served by the department.