Rural Pa. Fire Departments Get Wildfire-Fighting Funds

Some volunteer fire companies in the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania are getting state wildfire protection grants.

Governor Tom Wolf (D) has announced $602,306 in grants to rural communities to help the firefighters that regularly respond to woodland blazes.

Union Dale and Montrose fire companies in Susquehanna County, Litchfield Township Volunteers in the Sayre area in Bradford County and  the Gouldsboro Volunteer Fire Department in Wayne County are getting pieces of the grant money.

Union Dale is getting $3,500, Montrose: $1,810 dollars, Litchfield: $5,406, and Gouldsboro is granted $5,579.

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The funding is earmarked for departments in rural areas and communities in the Commonwealth with fewer than 10,000 people and will go to pay for training and equipment purchases related to fighting brush and forest fires.

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams-Dunn and fire Commissioner Bruce Trego say the local volunteers not only serve their own communities, but members often join crews elsewhere and several have been sent to fight the devastating wildfires in the West.

According to a news release from Governor Wolf's office, priority was given to the purchase of wildfire suppression equipment and protective clothing.  In addition the funds could go for buying equipment like portable hydrants, installing dry hydrants and training,

Grants are awarded on a cost-share basis.  Officials said the maximum amount awarded in the 2021 round came in at $10,000.  One of the stipulations was the grant amount cannot exceed 50% of the actual expenditures of local, public and private nonprofit organizations in the agreement.

109 departments in the Commonwealth shared in the grant awards.  The complete list of the recipient departments and the dollar amounts of the grants can be found online here.