14 News, The Tri-State's News and Weather Leader-Grant money for volunteer fire departments

Grant money for volunteer fire departments

By Stuart Peck - bio | email | Twitter

OHIO COUNTY, KY (WFIE) - There is good news for Kentucky's volunteer fire departments. Grant money from the State Forestry Department is available to help them upgrade.

It's perfect timing for those departments in desperate need of new equipment.  

"It's just harder to get the funding to survive," Rosine Fire Chief, David Simpson said. 

For Simpson, working on a tight budget is a way of life.

His department relies heavily on grants to buy equipment they desperately need.

"We're lucky right now the gear that we do have, while it's getting old, it's still useable," Simpson said. "We have new members coming on and we just don't have any gear for them."

The Rosine department is not the only one in need of money.

The Fire Chief for the McHenry Volunteer Fire Department said in some cases equipment isn't really safe to use.

"Most of the gear has aged to the point where they can't get it replaced or parts no more,"McHenry Fire Chief Ralph Miller said. "A lot of the equipment we can't find replacement pieces for."

Seven of Ohio County's volunteer fire departments are applying for this grant and with hundreds of volunteer departments in the state, grants like this one are very competitive.

"The vast majority of them put in for these grants and it is very competitive to get approved," Simpson said.

Monday in Ohio County, dry conditions prompted a red flag warning.

Many of the county's volunteer fire fighters are standing at the ready in case they're needed.

"The deal is, getting them to stay home to fight fires is great but if you can't equip them with the equipment to fight the fires then there lies our dilemma," Miller said. 

There are $1,000 and $5,000 grants available for new equipment.

Applications for volunteer fire assistance are due June 17.

©2009 WFIE. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.