COLUMBUS — Several area fire departments will share in more than $593,000 in grant money from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry.

The money is being distributed through the ODNR’s Volunteer Fire Assistance program and will be spread among 95 projects for fire departments in rural areas of Ohio through the Volunteer Fire Assistance grant program.

“In addition to wildland fire training, this funding helps departments serving Ohio’s wildfire protection area enhance their equipment and operational readiness,” said Dan Balser, chief of the ODNR Division of Forestry. “Investing in local departments strengthens emergency response at the community level.”

Receiving funding in Jefferson County were the Richmond Volunteer Fure and Rescue Co. Inc., $6,196 for wildfire personal protective equipment; the Pleasant Hill Volunteer Fire Department, $6,073.03 for wildfire personal protective equipment and tools; the Stratton Volunteer Fire Department, $4,858.47 for personal protective equipment and wildfire tools; the Tiltonsville Volunteer Fire Department, $3,923.30 for wildfire personal protective equipment and wildfire tools; and the East Springfield Volunteer Fire Department, $3,124.66 for wildfire personal protective equipment and tools.

In Harrison County, the Deersville Community Volunteer Fire Department received $6,187 for a slip-in unit, and the Hopedale Volunteer Fire Department received $3,351.69 for structure fire personal protective equipment.

In Carroll County, the Carrollton Village Fire Department received $10,000 for wildfire and power tools; the Great Trail Fire District in Malvern received $9,855.47 for MARCS communication devices; and the Fox Township Volunteer Fire Department in Mechanicstown received $971.75 for structure fire supplies.

Receiving money in Belmont County were the Sunset Heights Volunteer Department in Bridgeport, $10,000 for a utility task vehicle, and the Lafferty Volunteer Fire Department, $519.99 for wildfire tools.

In Columbiana County, the Liverpool Township Volunteer Fire Department in East Liverpool received $6,975 for wildfire hose and personal protective gear, and the North Georgetown Volunteer Fire Department received $8,205 for wildfire personal protective gear and a dry hydrant.

VFA grant projects focus on supporting rural fire departments and helping them continue delivering safety services to their communities. VFA grants are open to fire departments composed of at least 80 percent volunteer firefighters who serve communities with populations of less than 10,000 people within the ODNR Forestry wildfire protection area.

The grant funds may be used by fire departments to purchase all-terrain vehicles, wildfire water tanks and pump units, wildfire and structure fire safety equipment, radios, tools and other items to support fire department operations and development. VFA grants may fund up to 50 percent of the total project cost, not to exceed $10,000 per grant.

Many rural fire departments in Ohio have tight budgets, and most of their limited resources must be focused on keeping essential emergency services running, officials explained. ODNR Forestry’s VFA grant program helps supplement fire department budgets and facilitates important purchases, such as firefighter personal protective equipment and basic fire suppression equipment.

VFA grant funding is provided to ODNR Forestry from the USDA Forest Service. Funding for this cycle of VFA grants was sourced from ODNR Forestry’s annual VFA allocation and from additional designated Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds.