Donna Owens, director of the Ohio Department of Commerce, will present grants to three Ross County volunteer fire departments on Wednesday, June 25 at 9:30 a.m. at the Union Township Fire Department, 12034 Pleasant Valley Road. The grants are funded through the State Fire Marshal's Volunteer Fire Department Grant Program.

The grants will be presented to:

• Chief Robert Stewart of the Union Township Fire Department for $10,000 towards the purchase of firefighter protective clothing.

• Chief Frank Raymond of the Adelphi Volunteer Fire Department for $3,234 towards the purchase of communications equipment and alarms.

• Chief Brian Mendenhall of the Twin Township Fire Department for $1,400 towards the purchase of firefighter protective clothing.

The grant program assists fire departments in purchasing equipment and supplies that they may otherwise not be able to afford. The grants 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 fire district, fire department's total budget, number of fire runs, and proposed use of the grant.

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The Division of State Fire Marshal is part of the Ohio Department of Commerce. The Fire Marshal's Office trains firefighters, enforces the Ohio Fire Code, investigates the cause and origins of fires and explosions, provides fire prevention programs, and performs other services. Other Commerce divisions enforce regulations regarding industrial compliance, financial institutions, real estate, securities, auctioneers, unclaimed funds and private investigators, among others.