Rural and volunteer fire departments from 40 counties have been awarded more than $284,000 in DNR Volunteer Fire Assistance grants.
The grants, announced by DNR director Cameron Clark, are administered by the DNR Division of Forestry and made available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service.
The awarded grants ranged from $1,225 to $5,000 and were given to 64 departments.
Grants may be used for training, installation of dry hydrants, or to purchase necessary firefighting equipment and gear to combat wildland fires.
DNR Forestry staff reviewed grant applications and selected recipients on the basis of population density, acres of public wildlands protected, and wildland fire reporting to DNR Fire Control Headquarters.
Fire departments interested in applying for VFA grants should contact Mark Huter, acting program coordinator, DNR Fire Control Headquarters, 6220 Forest Road, Martinsville, IN, 46151, or call 765-342-4701.
Here is Tim Kersey, the Secretary-Treasurer of the Roann Fire Department, with more:
Fire departments receiving grants in 2018, the amount of the grant, county and the project category are:
| A&A Twp. VFD | $5,000 | Morgan | Safety |
| Batesville Community Fire Assoc. | $2,594 | Ripley | Water handling |
| Bridgeton Fire Department | $5,000 | Parke | Water handling |
| Bryant VFD Inc | $4,207 | Jay | Wildland |
| Campbell Twp. VFD | $5,000 | Jennings | Radios |
| Cannelton VFD | $3,918 | Perry | Radios |
| Carlisle VFD | $4,650 | Sullivan | Safety |
| Cass-Clinton VFD | $5,000 | Laporte | Equipment |
| Celestine VFD | $4,982 | Dubois | Water handling |
| Center Fire Department | $5,000 | Greene | Training |
| Charlestown VFD | $5,000 | Clark | Water handling |
| Decatur Twp Fire Department | $5,000 | Marion | Wildland |
| Dubois VFD | $3,571 | Dubois | Safety |
| Eagle Fire Company | $5,000 | Franklin | Safety |
| Ellettsville Fire Department | $1,750 | Monroe | Safety |
| Elnora Elmore VFD | $4,828 | Daviess | Safety |
| Francesville VFD | $4,620 | Pulaski | Water handling |
| Georgetown Twp. Fire District | $5,000 | Floyd | Wildland |
| Gibson Twp.-Little York VFD | $5,000 | Washington | Wildland |
| Greensburg Fire Department | $4,998 | Decatur | Radios |
| Gregg Twp. Fire Department | $4,990 | Morgan | Wildland |
| Hamilton Twp. VFD | $1,985 | Jackson | Water handling |
| Hanover Twp. VFD | $5,000 | Jefferson | Safety |
| J.U.G.A. VFD | $5,000 | Parke | Safety |
| Jeff-Craig Fire & Rescue | $5,000 | Switzerland | Wildland |
| Jefferson Twp., Pike County, VFD | $5,000 | Pike | Safety |
| Kouts VFD | $4,496 | Porter | Safety |
| LaCrosse VFD | $5,000 | Laporte | Safety |
| LaGrange VFD | $5,000 | LaGrange | Radios |
| Liberty VFD | $5,000 | St. Joseph | Safety |
| Lowell VFD | $5,000 | Lake | Radios |
| Lynn Fire Department |
$5,000 | Randolph | Safety |
| Madison Twp. VFD | $3,575 | Dubois | Water handling |
| Madison Twp.-Hoagland VFD | $4,878 | Allen | Safety |
| Monroe Twp. | $5,000 | Clark | Water handling |
| Monterey & Tippecanoe VFD | $5,000 | Pulaski | Radios |
| Morgan Twp. VFD | $5,000 | Porter | Safety |
| Morocco VFD | $4,372 | Newton | Radios |
| Mt. Etna VFD | $4,975 | Huntington | Wildland |
| Noble Twp. VFD | $5,000 | LaPorte | Safety |
| Northern Monroe Fire Territory | $4,620 | Monroe | Wildland |
| Oakland City Fire Department | $2,368 | Gibson | Wildland |
| One Green Twp. VFD | $4,500 | Hancock | Safety |
| Owen Twp. VFD | $4,995 | Jackson | Safety |
| Perry-Clear Creek Fire Protection District | $5,000 | Monroe | Wildland |
| Petersburg VFD | $5,000 | Pike | Safety |
| Porter Fire Department | $2,499 | Porter | Safety |
| Posey Twp. Fire Department | $1,231 | Rush | Safety |
| Richland-Taylor Twp. VFD | $5,000 | Greene | Radios |
| Roann VFD | $4,895 | Wabash | Safety |
| Rome VFD | $1,225 | Perry | Water handling |
| Rossville VFD | $4,945 | Clinton | Safety |
| Santa Claus VFD | $5,000 | Spencer | Safety |
| Schnellville Firefighting Corporation | $4,700 | Dubois | Safety |
| Southern Brown VFD | $5,000 | Brown | Wildland |
| Southwest Central Fire Territory | $5,000 | St. Joseph | Safety |
| St. Meinrad Fire Department | $5,000 | Spencer | Safety |
| Stilesville Volunteer Fire & Rescue | $3,010 | Hendricks | Safety |
| Vernon Twp. Fire Department | $5,000 | Jennings | Safety |
| Vincennes Twp. Fire District | $4,150 | Knox | Safety |
| Washington Twp. | $5,000 | Morgan | Safety |
| White River Twp. Fire Department | $1,955 | Randolph | Safety |
| White River-Hazelton VFD | $4,989 | Gibson | Water handling |
| Woodburn Fire Department | $5,000 | Allen | Safety |