Eleven Area Fire Departments Receive Grants from State Fire Marshal

Presentations Coincide with Governor’s Regional Cabinet Day Event

 

Department of Commerce Director Gary C. Suhadolnik and State Fire Marshal Robert R. Rielage presented fire grants to eleven north central Ohio volunteer fire departments in a ceremony held this afternoon at the Franklin Township Fire Department in Shelby.  The event was in conjunction with Governor Bob Taft’s regional cabinet day in Mansfield.  The grants are part of $1.78 million in grants being awarded to small and volunteer departments by the State Fire Marshal for training and equipment.

 

“The majority of fire departments in Ohio are made up of committed volunteers who welcome the opportunity to serve their communities,” said Rielage.  “These grants allow their spirit of volunteerism to be coupled with the proper equipment and training in order to perform their firefighting duties.”

 

The grants were presented to:

Richland County

·       Chief James Coffey, Sr. of the Franklin Township Fire Department, who will receive $8,000 towards the purchase of firefighter protective clothing.

Ashland County

·       Chief Lon Burton of the Ruggles Troy Township Volunteer Fire Department, who will receive $8,000 towards the purchase of communications equipment and tools.

Coshocton County

·       Chief Gaylord Hill of the West Lafayette Fire Department, who will receive $8,000 towards the purchase of self-contained breathing apparatus.

Crawford County

·       Chief Daniel Grau of the Dallas Township Fire Department, who will receive $5,090 towards the purchase of firefighter protective clothing and tools.

·       Chief Steve Kalb of the Holmes Township Fire Department, who will receive $8,000 towards the purchase of self-contained breathing apparatus and firefighter protective clothing.

·       Chief Richard Ackerman of the New Washington Fire Department, who will receive $2,464 towards the purchase of self-contained breathing apparatus.

Marion County

·       Chief Donald Spicer of the Morral Salt Township Fire Department, who will receive $3,719 towards the purchase of self-contained breathing apparatus and communications equipment.

·       Chief John Boyd of the Scioto Valley Fire Department, who will receive $8,000 towards the purchase of self-contained breathing apparatus and communications equipment.

 

Morrow County

·       Chief Paul Mills of the Big Walnut Joint Fire Department, who will receive $8,000 towards the purchase of firefighter protective clothing.

·       Chief Harlen Barrick of the Johnsville Fire Department, who will receive $8,000 towards the purchase of self-contained breathing apparatus.

Wyandot County

·       Chief Max Kennedy of the Marseilles Fire Department, who will receive $8,000 towards the purchase of self-contained breathing apparatus and firefighter protective clothing.

 

Other departments in the area received grants but were not in attendance:

Holmes County

·       Chief John Geib of the Killbuck Volunteer Fire Department, who will receive $3,334 towards the purchase of firefighter protective clothing and tools.

Seneca County

·       Chief Kenneth Weaver of the AVR Fire Department, who will receive $8,000 towards the purchase of self-contained breathing apparatus and firefighter protective clothing.

·       Chief Donald Martin of the Scipio-Republic Fire Department, who will receive $8,000 towards the purchase of self-contained breathing apparatus and firefighter protective clothing.

Wyandot County

·       Chief Gerald Clinger of the Sycamore Fire Department, who will receive $8,000 towards the purchase of self-contained breathing apparatus and firefighter protective clothing.

 

In 2001, the State Fire Marshal awarded almost $1.8 million in grants to help small and volunteer fire departments across the state.  The funds come from two sources, the State and Local Government Commission and the General Assembly.  The State and Local Government Commission allocated $1 million to the State Fire Marshal for the Training and Equipment Grants.  These funds are first used to reimburse fire departments for the actual cost of the mandated basic fire training classes, including the cost of training manuals and student workbooks, up to $600 for certain courses. These grants were available to departments with a permanent population of 25,000 or less.  The remaining funds are used under the Volunteer Fire Department Grants Program

 

The State Fire Marshal’s Volunteer Fire Department Grants program was created by the Ohio General Assembly in 1993 to assist qualifying volunteer fire departments.  Grants of up to $10,000 are awarded using a grading schedule that attempts to first fund departments with the fewest resources to meet their fire protection needs and responsibilities.  The criteria include: population and size of the district, fire department’s total budget, number of fire runs, and proposed use of the grant.  Most grants are used for firefighter protective clothing and self-contained breathing apparatus.  In 2001, the State Fire Marshal awarded 174 Volunteer Fire Department grants totaling $1,289,027. This included $493,814 from the Training and Equipment Grants program and $795,213 given to the State Fire Marshal by the Ohio General Assembly. For 2001, the average amount awarded to each department was $7,408.  The average operating budget of the departments is $31,187.

 

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