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News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 25, 2006

32 LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS TO BENEFIT FROM
WILDLAND FIRE PROTECTION EQUIPMENT
$4,500 worth of goggles, gloves and clothing go to each department

County Department
Athens Albany Area Volunteer Fire Department
Allen Lafayette-Jackson Township Volunteer Fire Department
Ashtabula Pierpont Volunteer Fire Department
Belmont Barnesville Fire Department
Belmont Sunset Heights Volunteer Fire Department
Carroll Fox Township Fire Department
Carroll Leesville Volunteer Fire Department
Clermont Williamsburg Township Volunteer Fire Department
Erie Berlin Township Volunteer Fire Department
Guernsey Byesville Volunteer Fire Department
Hancock Jenera Volunteer Fire Department
Henry Holgate Volunteer Fire Department
Jackson Coalton Volunteer Fire Department
Jefferson Toronto Volunteer Fire Department
Jefferson Empire Volunteer Fire Department
Lawrence Chesapeake-Union Volunteer Fire Department
Lucas Spencer Township Fire & Rescue
Muskingum Perry Township Volunteer Fire Department
Muskingum Roseville Volunteer Fire Department
Ottawa Rocky Ridge Volunteer Fire Department
Perry Somerset-Reading Township Volunteer Fire Department
Pickaway Pic-A-Fay Joint Fire District
Pickaway Pickaway Township Volunteer Fire Department
Ross Colerain Township Volunteer Fire Department
Ross Liberty Township Volunteer Fire & Rescue
Seneca A.V.R. Fire District
Tuscarawas Tuscarawas-Warick Volunteer Fire Department
Union Liberty Township Fire Department
Union Union Township Fire Department
Washington Beverly Volunteer Fire Department
Washington Little Hocking Volunteer Fire Department
Wayne Sterling Fire District
COLUMBUS, OH - Thirty-two local fire departments in 24 Ohio counties will benefit from a grant program that provides personal protective equipment for fighting wildland fires, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

Ten complete equipment sets, each worth $450, will go to fire departments in Athens, Allen, Ashtabula, Belmont, Carroll, Clermont, Erie, Guernsey, Hancock, Henry, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lucas, Muskingum, Ottawa, Perry, Pickaway, Ross, Seneca, Tuscarawas, Union, Washington and Wayne counties. Each set consists of flame-retardant pants and shirt, hardhat, fire shelter, gloves and goggles. Recent studies of firefighter safety indicate the importance of wearing this type of equipment.

“Most of the more than 800 wildland fires that occur in Ohio each year are battled by rural and volunteer fire departments,” said John Dorka, chief of the Division of Forestry. “Very few of these departments have the resources to purchase wildland fire equipment. The equipment and clothing provided through this grant program offers increased protection for wildland firefighters.”

Ohio’s Wildland Personal Protective Equipment Grant Program is administered by the ODNR Division of Forestry. The division purchases the equipment with funds from the National Fire Plan portion of the federal Volunteer Fire Assistance grant program. The program is designed to assist fire departments that serve populations with less than 10,000 people.

Since 2002, more than 200 local fire departments and 2,000 firefighters have received protective equipment through this grant program. This has resulted in a $600,000 total cost savings to those fire departments.

The VFA grant applications are made available each year in April and must be completed and returned by June. Fire departments interested in additional information or in participating in the program should contact Rick Maier at 740-773-1574.

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For additional news online, check out the ODNR Press Room at Ohiodnr.com

For Further Information Contact:
Rick Maier, ODNR Division of Forestry
(740) 773-1574
-or-
Jane Beathard, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6860