HARRISBURG – August 19, 2021–Sen. Michele Brooks is pleased to announce that volunteer fire assistance grants have been awarded to five fire departments in the 50th District.
These departments include the following:
- Shenango Township Volunteer Fire Department, West Middlesex, Mercer County, $7,000.00
- Randolph Volunteer Fire Department , Guys Mills, Crawford County, $3,727.00
- Venango Volunteer Fire Department and Relief Association, Venango, Crawford County, $10,000.00
- West Mead District 2 Volunteer Fire Dept. and Relief Association, Meadville, Crawford County, $861.00
- Edinboro Volunteer Fire Dept., Edinboro, Erie, $10,000.00
“These grants are designed to help our rural community fire departments fight wildfires, by giving first responders the training and equipment they need and deserve,” Brooks said. “We have all seen how devastating brush and forest fires can be to human life, property and our natural resources, so funding for quick, capable fire protection is vital to public safety.”
“These grants also present another golden opportunity to thank our firefighters for their unselfish public service,” she added.
According to State Fire Commissioner Bruce Trego, several fire crews from Pennsylvania have been sent out West to fight wildfires caused by hot, dry summer conditions. Local crews also respond regularly to local woodland and brush fires.
“Pennsylvania’s wildfire season is looming, so this funding is a lifeline that gives our first responders more of the resources they need,” Brooks said.
Grants are awarded on a cost-share basis. The maximum grant awarded in 2021 is $10,000 and cannot exceed half of the actual expenditures of local, public, and private nonprofit organizations in the agreement.
Priority was given to projects that include the purchase of wildfire suppression equipment and protective clothing. Grants may also be used for purchasing mobile or portable radios, installing dry hydrants, wildfire prevention and mitigation work, training wildfire fighters, or converting and maintaining federal excess vehicles. The grant program, offered through DCNR and paid through federal grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, has awarded more than $14.5 million since it began in 1982.
Contact: Diane McNaughton (717) 787-1322 dmmcnaughton@pasen.gov