BOSTON – The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation recently announced a new round of Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants.
DCR Commissioner Carol Sanchez said in a press release that $65,542.00 has been made available in the 2015 Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) grant funding program for eligible towns. Funding for this program, which is provided by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, is administered by DCR’s Bureau of Forest Fire Control and Forestry.
VFA grants are available to non-profit rural call or volunteer fire departments that provide service primarily to a community or city with a population of 10,000 or less. Fire departments must be comprised of at least 80 percent call or volunteer firefighters, must be recognized as a fire department under state law, and must be National Incident Management System compliant.
Chief Michael Morrissey of the Russell Fire Department said the town will apply for the grant this year.
“We intend on trying to acquire an 85 gallon skid unit that would go into the department’s Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV). It would have a water tank, Class A foam system, a pump and hose line that would be used to make quick attacks on wildland fires that do not have easy access for our normal brush trucks.”
“The cost is approx. $4,000 each and the DCR program could provide up to $2,000 in funds. This makes the program a 50/50 match,” he said.
Last year, Russell received a grant for $1,983, half of a $3,966 project to purchase personal protective clothing, including pants, shirts, gloves and eye protection.
“All items had to meet the NFPA standards of 1975-1977,” Morrissey said. “This standard is the national standard used to ensure the clothing firefighters wear during wild fire operations are fire proof and light weight (reduces firefighter fatigue and helps to keep the body’s core temperature down). This project allowed us to outfit 10 firefighters.”
Fire Chief Ed Harvey said the Blandford Fire Department also intends to apply for the VFA grant.
“At this time we are reviewing our priorities,” Harvey said. “Training in the area of wildland firefighting is certainly near the top of the list”
“More tangible requests include a water tank for a surplus truck that has been slated for such a purpose,” he said. “Other options are leaf blowers and chain saws to create fire lines, or additional forestry hose that can be carried to the fire in a backpack for easier deployment.”
“Blandford is well equipped with personal protective equipment and we do currently have a serviceable brush truck; however, it is over 25 years old,” he said. “Being able to support that with a newer truck would be a great asset and would improve both the community’s and firefighter safety.”
Other communities eligible for a grant include Huntington, Chester, Tolland, Granville, Southwick and Montgomery. Montgomery also received a grant last year. Granville received one in 2013, according to the DCR, and will be applying for one this year.
“The Volunteer Fire Assistance grants are an extremely important funding tool to assist qualifying local fire departments that might not have the means to pay for vital equipment and training needed to combat wildland fires within their borders,” said DCR Commissioner Carol Sanchez in the press release announcing the grants. “The recent outbreak of brushfires across the Commonwealth only reinforces the value of the VFA grants.”
Applications with eligibility guidelines were mailed last week to the Commonwealth’s Forest Wardens in all eligible communities. The completed application must be received by Program Coordinator Roxanne B. Savoie, DCR Bureau of Forest Fire Control, Hampton Ponds State Park, 1048 North Road/Route 202, Westfield, Massachusetetts 01085 on or before June 12, 2015.
