Several state fire departments across Pennsylvania were recipients of more than $600,000 in grants that will help rural communities increase protection from wildfires. Two of those departments are in Indiana County.
The grants were awarded to fire departments in rural areas and communities with fewer than 10,000 people, and will go towards training and equipment purchases that are directly related to fighting brush and forest fires.
In Indiana County, the Commodore and Pine Township Fire Departments were granted a portion of these funds. Commodore was awarded the maximum grant amount of $10,000, while Pine Township was awarded $6,250.
PA Fire Commissioner Bruce Trego said that there is no better time to focus on getting our first responders the resources they need, especially as the state heads into its wildfire season, and he adds that these grant programs are “vital lifelines for our departments to procure the needed equipment and training for professional, coordinated and safe response efforts.
Grants were awarded on a cost-share basis and the full list of recipients can be found below:
