ODNR Division of Forestry provides more than $549K to support rural Ohio fire departments
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry recently approved grant funding for 85 projects totaling more than $549,000 for fire departments in rural areas of Ohio through the Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) Grant Program.
“We are pleased to be able to provide these grants to local fire departments,” said Dan Balser, chief of the ODNR Division of Forestry. “These fire departments are integral to their communities, and the grants we provide help support training and equipment necessary to perform their job functions.”
ODNR Forestry’s VFA Grant Program provides supplemental funding to fire departments that serve communities with populations of less than 10,000 people within the ODNR Division of Forestry Wildfire Protection Areas. Many rural fire departments face challenges with limited resources, and these grants support critical emergency services.
VFA grants can be used for firefighter Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), essential fire suppression equipment, utility task vehicles, slip-in wildfire pump units, radios, tools, and other items to support fire department operations. VFA grants may fund up to 50 percent of the total project cost, not to exceed $10,000 per grant.
Local projects include:
• Lynchburg Area Joint Fire and Ambulance District, $3,097.50 for UTV slip-in unit.
• Byrd Township Fire Township (Brown County), $4,057.50 for UTV slip-in unit.
• Camp Creek Volunteer Fire Department (Pike County), $1,480 for chainsaws, spare bars, chains.
• Colerain Township Fire Department (Ross County), $9,883 for structure fire PPE.
• Eastern Joint Fire and EMS District (Brown County), $10,000 for UTV, trailer, UTV accessories, sprayer unit.
• Franklin Township Fire & Rescue (Ross County), $9,980 for truck slip-in unit, UTV slip-in unit.
• Pebble Township Fire Department (Pike County), $7,340 for wildfire PPE, structure fire PPE.
• Peebles Fire Department, $9,899 for CAFS slip-in unit.
• Scioto Township Volunteer Fire Department (Pike County), $2,750 for wildfire PPE.
• Springfield Township Volunteer Fire Department (Ross County), $5,700 for wildfire tools.
• Village of Mount Orab Fire Department, $2,670 for UTV slip-in unit.
• Waverly Fire Department, $7,170.50 for wildfire PPE.
These VFA grant funds are provided to ODNR Forestry by the USDA Forest Service. The funding from this cycle of VFA grants is sourced from ODNR Forestry’s annual VFA allocation and additional designated Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation (BIL) funds.
A complete list of fire departments receiving VFA grants can befound at: https://mcusercontent.com/9762d9943f454cab103416c32/files/c449fdad-c17b….
The Ohio Division of Forestry promotes the wise use and sustainable management of Ohio’s public and private woodlands. To learn more about Ohio’s woodlands, visit forestry.ohiodnr.gov. Follow us on Facebook and on Instagram @odnrforestry.
ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov.
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