Ohio Fire Departments Receive Wildfire Grants
Several fire departments in Ohio, including Worthington and Washington Township, have received grants from the state's Department of Natural Resources. The funding is designated for purchasing wildfire equipment and upgrading communication systems. This signals a trend of state-level investment in bolstering local response capabilities for wildland incidents.
- The grants are part of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) program, which recently awarded more than $593,000 to 95 rural fire departments. - This funding is a 50/50 cost-share grant, with a maximum award of $10,000 per department, helping to supplement the budgets of smaller, mostly-volunteer departments. - To be eligible, fire departments must be at least 80% volunteer-staffed and serve communities with populations under 10,000. - Specific local awards include $3,096.50 to the Worthington Township Fire Department for wildfire PPE and tools, and $10,000 to the Washington Township Fire Department for MARCS communication devices. - The VFA grants are funded by the USDA Forest Service, and this cycle received additional funding from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. - Common uses for the grant money include purchasing specialized wildfire personal protective equipment (PPE), all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), water tanks with pump units, and operational tools. - Ohio experiences an average of 800 wildfires that burn 4,000 to 5,000 acres of forest and grassland annually. - The state's wildfire season is most pronounced in the fall and spring when dry grass, fallen leaves, and windy conditions create a higher risk; nearly all wildfires in Ohio are caused by human activity.
