Environment DEC
From the May 2007 issue
DEC Accepting Applications for Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants
Applications for Volunteer Fire Assistance grants provide funding to rural fire departments to enhance their wildfire fighting capabilities. The grant program is funded by the United States Forest Service and administered by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Last year, the program allocated $339,000 in funding, providing $1,000 grants to 339 fire departments. A comparable level of federal funding is expected for 2007. The deadline for applications is May 15, 2007.
Eligible Expenses
Fire departments should have a high rating from the Insurance Services Office and serve inadequately protected rural communities
Expenses directly related only to fire suppression are eligible for funding. These include the purchase of portable pumps, portable backpack pumps, hand tools, hoses, lightweight fireproof clothing (Nomex), hard hats, turnout gear, portable radios, generators, and dry hydrants. Expenditures not directly related to firefighting, such as acquisition of land, construction of buildings and facilities, major apparatus purchases and maintenance items, are not eligible for funding.
Requirements for Applicants
Fire departments in towns with populations of 10,000 or more may be eligible for funding if they meet the requirements listed on the application. Fire departments must provide half the cost of the project being funded. All funded projects should be completed by September 30, 2007.
Priority will be given to applications from fire departments in towns that have a high rating from the Insurance Services Office and that serve inadequately protected rural communities. Preference also will be given to fire departments that have not received funding in the past five years under the Volunteer Fire Assistance/Rural Community Fire Protection Program.
For applications or further information regarding the grant program, contact DEC at 518-402-8839, or write to NYSDEC, Division of Forest Protection and Fire Management, 625 Broadway 8th Floor, Albany, New York, 12233-2560
