HARRISBURG – State Senator Gene Yaw (R-23) is encouraging local fire companies within his Senatorial District (Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Union) to apply for the Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant Program administered by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Bureau of Forestry and funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service.
Grants through the program may be used for purchasing mobile or portable radios, installing dry hydrants, performing wildfire prevention and mitigation work, training wildfire fighters, or converting and maintaining federal excess vehicles to be used for fire suppression.
“The Fire Grant program has proven to be an invaluable help for fire departments throughout my Senate district and throughout Pennsylvania providing funding for the training and equipment that is necessary to ensure that our firefighters and emergency personnel are as prepared as possible to respond to emergencies and disasters,” said Yaw. “We are blessed to have a number of highly skilled and dedicated individuals in our area who volunteer their time and efforts to protect our communities during these times of emergencies.”
Volunteer fire companies serving rural areas and communities with fewer than 10,000 residents and where forest and brush fires are common are encouraged to apply for grants of up to $7,500 for training and equipment purchases directly related to fighting brush and forest fires.
Grant applications must be electronically submitted through DCNR’s eGrant webpage by 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 22nd, 2014. To expedite application and decision-making processes, DCNR is accepting only online applications. Applicants should visit www.dcnr.state.pa.us and click on “Apply for Grants” for details.
Fire companies and EMS organizations that need assistance completing the application are encouraged to contact any of Senator Yaw’s offices.
CONTACT:
Rita Zielonis
717-787-3280