Ozark County VFDs receive MDC grants
A total of $6,156.22 was distributed to Dora, Pontiac/Price Place, Theodosia Area and Tecumseh Volunteer Fire Departments Friday from the Missouri Department of Conservation’s volunteer fire assistance (VFA) matching grants program.
As part of the program, Dora VFD purchased four telescoping steel rakes, a Nomex shirt, two radio chest harnesses and a Stihl leaf blower. The grant provided $409.22 of the $818.44 cost for the items.
Pontiac/Price Place VFD purchased three portable radios, a pager, five Nomex shirts, six helmets, 12 pairs of gloves and four hoods. The MDC grant paid $1,509.55 of the $3,019.10 cost for the items.
Tecumseh VFD purchased a microphone, a pager, two drip torches and a 6,500-watt generator. The MDC grant paid $1,739.67 of the total $3,479.34 cost for the items.
Thedosia Area VFD purchased 10 Ringers gloves, 10 wildland firefighter gloves, 10 pigskin firewall gloves and a skid pump. The MDC grant paid $2,497.78 of the total $4,995.55 cost for the items.
In addition to the four Ozark County VFDs, MDC awarded VFA matching grants totaling $386,639.14 to 164 other volunteer fire departments in the state. The grants, which can be redeemed for up to $4,000 per department, are designed to help volunteer departments obtain personal protective gear, communications equipment and wildfire suppression equipment that helps increase the fire departments’ capacity to suppress wildfires safely and efficiently. Fire departments are required to match 50 percent of the funds, which are provided by MDC and the US Forest Service Volunteer Fire Assistance Program.
During the last 30 years, $8 million has been distributed to rural fire departments to increase the safety of their firefighters and provide them with better firefighting equipment.