4 local fire companies awarded grants
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LEWISTOWN -- Four local fire companies were among the 142 recipients of grants awarded by the state on Monday to help them increase protection from wildfires, while encouraging fire safety.
The Reedsville Volunteer Fire Co. and Newton Wayne Fire Co. in Newton Hamilton were two companies in Mifflin County which received assistance. The Reedsville Fire Co. received a $3,191 grant, while Newton Wayne was allocated $2,500.
In Juniata County, the Beale Township Fire Dept. in Port Royal was the recipient of a $2,666 grant, while the Reliance Hose Co. No. 1 in Middleburg, Snyder County, received $2,592.
A total of $880,000 in volunteer fire assistance grants were awarded across the state.
"Ensuring we have well-equipped and highly trained wildfire fighters is key in protecting our forests and woods from wildfires, whether they are human-caused and naturally occurring," Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said in a press release. "The best way we can show our gratitude to those who help fight brush and forest fires across the commonwealth is to practice fire safety in all situations, especially in October and November when wildfires are most common
in Pennsylvania."
Both Dunn and State Fire Commissioner Thomas Cook thanked volunteer fire companies for their service to communities close to home, as well as those members who often join DCNR's Bureau of Forestry crews battling wildfires far beyond Pennsylvania's borders.
Several crews have been sent to western states to fight wildfires caused by hot, dry summer conditions, while also responding regularly to local woodland and brush fires. They noted the wildfire grants help enable smaller companies to concentrate more on public safety and training while easing their fiscal constraints.
"Each year, a variety of factors like drying vegetation, fewer natural windbreaks and now, scarce rain, come together to compound fire risks during wildfire season," Cook said. "It's easy to forget that the men and women that respond to these incidents are our neighbors, family members, and friends, and largely part of the same volunteer fire service that the commonwealth depends upon every day."
Grants are awarded on a cost-share basis. The maximum grant awarded in 2023 was $12,500, and grants awarded cannot exceed 50 percent of the fire company's actual expenditures.
The grant program, offered through DCNR and paid through federal grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, has awarded nearly $16 million since it began in 1982.