Oskaloosa Independent – August 8, 2013
Submitted by Newz Group Clipping Service – August 20, 2013
Firefighters in the Winchester Fire Department (Jefferson No. 10) will be wearing upgraded protective gear thanks to a grant from the U.S. Forest Service.
A $4,000 matching grant to the department was announced last week by Ross Hauck, the Kansas Forest Service fire management coordinator. The money is part of $261,000 granted rural fire departments across Kansas in 2013 via the Voluntary Fire Assistance program. Funds for the program are appropriated at the federal level and channeled through state forest services.
“This is a great way for the Kansas Forest Service to assist and encourage rural community fire departments to improve their services. While the federal share usually does not constitute a large part of a department’s budget, it may make a big impact on a smaller, volunteer department,” Hauck said.
Winchester fire officials will use the money to purchase lighter, more comfortable wildland fire coats, pants and boots.
“Better equipment makes our firefighters safer and more effective on the fire scene,” Fire Chief Jim Bodenheimer says.
The chief is a prolific grant writer. The department was most recently awarded a $30,000 grant for new and more effective extrication equipment, the so-called “Jaws of Life” devices used at vehicle accident scenes. In all, the department has been awarded more than $500,000 in grants over the last decade.
“These are our tax dollars coming back home instead of going to some other city or state,” Bodenheimer says. “We pay federal income taxes and might as well see benefits from them right here where we live.” He says the grants have allowed the department to upgrade its training and equipment, making the department more professional.
Voluntary Fire Assistance grants are reserved for departments in rural areas and communities with a population of 10,000 or less. Fire departments approved for funding must match at least 50 percent of the total project cost with local funding.
Applications for the grants totaled $896,800 this year, with only one in four applicants being successful, according to Hauck.
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