Knox fire departments receive $10,000 grants

Two Knox County fire departments will receive $10,000 in grants through the Ohio DNR’s Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant Program.

Bladensburg Fire District and Monroe Township Fire Department plan to use their grants for utility vehicles (UTV).

The DNR’s Division of Forestry approved $491,883 in matching grants for 77 projects in rural areas across the state.

The program supports rural fire departments to help them continue to deliver safety services to their communities. Fire departments within the ODNR Forestry Wildfire Protection Areas that serve communities with less than 10,000 people were eligible for the grants the USDA Forest Service funded.

“These fire departments provide critical services to local communities by protecting the people and the forests they serve,” said Dan Balser, ODNR Division of Forestry chief.

Fire departments may use the grant funds to purchase UTVs, slip-in wildfire pump units, wildfire and structure fire PPE, MARCS radios, tools, and other items to support fire department operations and development. VFA grants may fund up to 50% of the total project cost, not to exceed $10,000 per grant. The local fire departments must provide the rest of the funding.

Madison Township Fire Department in Licking County was awarded a $5,000 grant to help fund a MARCS (Multi-Agency Radio Communication System) communication device.

Franklin Township Fire Department in Richland County was awarded a $9,798 wildfire PPE and tools grant.