Merski: Greene Township firefighters awarded $8,500 to fight brush fires
Rep. Robert Merski September 13, 2022 | 4:06 PM
ERIE, Sept. 13 – A grant of $8,525 to Kuhl Hose Co. in Greene Township will make it easier for firefighters to fight brush fires, state Rep. Bob Merski announced today.
Merski, D-Erie, said the funding – part of a package of Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants offered through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources – will help fight a seasonal hazard that increases over the dry fall months.
“Brush fires – especially when they occur near homes or along roadways – can spread quickly to endanger people and property, and dry conditions increase the risk,” Merski said. “As we head into fall, it will be important for firefighters to have the portable tanks and other special equipment needed to combat this fast-moving threat while staying safe themselves.”
The grants were awarded on a cost-share basis to qualifying local firefighting forces in rural areas and communities with fewer than 10,000 people. The funding may be used for training and equipment purchases directly related to fighting brush and forest fires.
Priority was placed on projects that include the purchase of wildfire suppression equipment and protective clothing. Grants may also be used for purchasing mobile or portable radios, installing dry hydrants, wildfire prevention and mitigation work, training wildfire fighters, or converting and maintaining federal excess vehicles.
The maximum grant awarded in 2022 is $12,500, and grants cannot exceed 50% of the actual expenditures of local, public, and private nonprofit organizations in the agreement.
More about the funding is available here:
https://www.media.pa.gov/pages/DCNR_details.aspx?newsid=912