This includes:

• Identifying and assessing common fire-related problems.
• Improving fire education at all levels.
• Recommending legislative initiatives.
• Seeking funding sources.
• Advising on grant programs.

Goals are to assist local fire departments in:

• Obtaining certain minimum levels of State/Federal support.
• Gaining the consistent support of an efficient Ohio rural fire service from communities, townships, and their citizens.
• Developing a financial checklist for fire departments to track funds.
• Assuring that meaningful training requirements are established and accomplished.
• Recruiting and retaining qualified personnel and staff.

Accomplishments of The Ohio Rural Fire Council:

• A statewide survey of fire departments (1993) identified issues critical to the rural fire service - financial support to meet mandates and equipment needs, training requirements, and volunteer recruitment & retention.
• Participants attending a three-day rural fire conference in Columbus (1994) summed up potential solutions including: local support, firefighter training standards, improved funding, managerial expertise within local fire departments, regional organizations to share resources, and a central clearinghouse for information.
• One-day conferences in Nelsonville (1995), Findlay (1996), Lisbon (1997), Chillicothe (1998) Marietta (1998), and Reynoldsburg/Ohio Fire Academy (2000, 2001) keynoted speakers and concurrent seminars providing valuable information on rural water supplies, insurance services office, legal issues, planning & budgeting, recruiting & retaining volunteers, Federal Excess Equipment apparatus conversions and other issues of interest and concern to rural firefighters.
• Grants Workshops held at the Ohio fire Academy (2001, 2002) provided insightful information, hints and updates about grant and other assistance programs.
• Ohio Farm Bureau’s 1,200 local advisory councils (August 1995) featured the rural fire service.
• A “Rural Fire Plan for Ohio” (1996) summarized accomplishments and identified action items.
• Support for re-establishing the Federal Excess Property program within ODNR Division of Forestry (1996) has resulted in more than $6,000,000 of equipment being loaned to cooperating rural fire departments in southern and eastern Ohio.
• Support for a common Incident Management system within Ohio resulted in adoption of OAC (1996) now being implemented within state agencies.
• Ohio Rural Fire Council, Inc. received tax exempt charitable organization 501(c)(3) status (1996).
• A voter registration survey of rural fire departments (1999) encouraged firefighters to participate and make their voices heard.

What’s Ahead?

• The Ohio Rural Fire Council is working on the following:
• Presenting annual Rural Fire Services Conference Workshops.
• Supporting expansion of the Federal Excess Property program.
• Promoting formation of a Legislative Fire Services Caucus within the Ohio Legislature.
• Supporting expansion of the No-interest Revolving Loan Fund for rural fire departments.
• Initiating a “Clearinghouse” of information relating to funding, training, equipment and other resources.
• Assisting and supporting implementation and training for Incident Command.
• Providing Case Studies of how improved fire protection affects rural homeowners’ property insurance and related issues.
• Secure “helping hands” legislation to resolve liability concerns relating to equipment donated to fire departments

Available Publications

• From the Ohio Rural Fire Council Inc.
• Ohio Rural Fire Services Conference Report (May 1994)
• Fire Council Brochure
• Ohio Rural Fire Plan (January 1996)

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The Division is on the Board of Directors of the Ohio Rural Fire Council, Inc., which was formed in 1993. The mission of the Council is to provide a unified voice for the fire services to improve and increase information, education and assets for the protection of life, property and natural resources in and around rural communities of Ohio. The Council includes representatives from associations of firefighters, fire chiefs, fire instructors, emergency management, resource and development councils and other agencies.