HARRISBURG, Pa. — More than $590,000 in grants will be awarded to help Pennsylvania’s rural communities guard against the threat of fires in forests and other undeveloped areas, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Ellen Ferretti announced today. Two Venango County agencies were selected to receive grants.

Rouseville Volunteer Fire Department and Relief Association and Seneca Volunteer Fire Department and Relief Association were chosen.

“Across Pennsylvania, 158 volunteer fire companies that serve rural areas and communities where forest and brush fires are common will benefit from these funds,” Ferretti said. “To appreciate the value of well-equipped and highly trained wildfire fighters, one only has to look outside Pennsylvania to the horrific fires that sometimes plague other states.”

Local firefighting forces in rural areas or communities with fewer than 10,000 residents qualify for the federal aid. Last year, the grant program awarded $505,000 to 130 volunteer companies in Pennsylvania.

“The readiness of these men and women is demonstrated every spring and summer when they answer assistance calls coming from other states, while also responding regularly to local woodland and brush fires,” Ferretti said. “These federal grants allow firefighters from smaller companies to concentrate more on public safety and training while easing their fiscal constraints.”

Grant recipients were named following review of fire company applications meeting a May 2014 deadline. Grants and other assistance are provided through DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry, with funding supplied by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service through the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978.

The key objective is to better equip and train volunteers to save lives and protect property in unprotected or inadequately protected rural areas. Grant recipients are selected based on vulnerability and adequacy of existing fire protection.

In reviewing applications, the bureau places priority on applications seeking funds for projects that included purchasing wildfire-suppression equipment and protective clothing.

Grants also were awarded for mobile or portable radios, water supply installations, wildfire prevention and mitigation, wildfire fighting training, and to convert and maintain federal excess vehicles the bureau receives and uses for fire suppression.
Grants for any project during a fiscal year cannot exceed 50 percent of the actual expenditures. The maximum grant awarded was $7,500.

Aid is granted on a cost-share basis, with recipients supplying matching funds. The bureau will begin accepting 2015 applications next spring.

Grant information can be obtained from the Bureau of Forestry Division of Forest Fire Protection in Harrisburg. Call 717-787-2925 or visit www.dcnr.state.pa.us and click on “State Forests.”

The following grants are being awarded (by county):

Adams: Bonneauville Community Volunteer Fire Co. Inc., Gettysburg, $2,359; Buchanan Valley Volunteer, Orrtanna; $7,500; Cashtown Community Fire Department, Cashtown, $2,550; Fountain Dale Volunteer Fire Department, Fairfield, $1,462;

 

Allegheny: North Fayette Volunteer Fire Department, Oakdale, $4,750; Rennerdale Volunteer Fire Department, Carnegie, $3,221; Summit Hose Volunteer Fire Department No. 3, Tarentum, $3,000;

 

Armstrong: Bethel Township Volunteer Fire Department, Vandergrift, $7,500; South Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Department, Freeport, $3,752;

 

Beaver: Hookstown Volunteer Fire Department, Hookstown, $4,454; North Sewickley Township Volunteer, Beaver Falls, $1,525; Rochester Township Fire Department No. 1, Rochester, $7,500; Rochester Volunteer Fire Department, Rochester, $7,500; Shippingport Volunteer Fire Department, Shippingport, $3,750;

Bedford: Alum Bank Community Volunteer Fire Co., Alum Bank, $7,500; Cumberland Valley Township Volunteer Fire Department, Bedford, $7,313; Shawnee Valley Volunteer Fire Co., Schellsburg, $7,500;

 

Berks: Alsace Manor Fire Co., Temple, $2,681; Brecknock Township Fire, Mohnton, $5,500; Kempton Fire Co., Kempton, $7,500; Mount Penn Fire Co.; Reading, $2,000; Oley Fire Co., Oley, $3,000; Pioneer Hose Co. No. 1, Robesonia, $2,250; Shartlesville Community Fire Co. No. 1, Shartlesville; $5,294;

Blair: Claysburg Volunteer Fire Co., Claysburg, $5,750; Northern Blair County Forest, Tyrone; $3,682;

 

Bradford: Endless Mountains Forestry Crew, Towanda, $3,500; Herrick Township Volunteer Fire Co., Wyalusing, $3,785; Ridgebury Volunteer Fire Co. Inc., Gillett, $7,500; Wyalusing Valley Volunteer Fire, Wyalusing, $2,693; Wysox Volunteer Fire Co., Wysox, $2,830;

 

Butler: Bruin Volunteer Fire Department, Bruin, $2,006; Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Co., Sarver, $5,154; Eau Claire Volunteer Fire Department & Relief Association, Eau Claire, $3,900; Portersville Muddycreek Township Volunteer Fire Department, Portersville, $2,622; Slippery Rock Volunteer Fire Co. & Rescue Team, Slippery Rock, $1,550;

Cambria: Gallitzin Fire Co. No. 1, Gallitzin, $3,400; Loretto Fire Co., Loretto, $2,792; Middle Taylor Township Volunteer Fire Co., Johnstown, $7,500; Nanty Glo Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1, Nanty Glo, $2,851;

 

Carbon: East Penn Township Volunteer Fire Co., Ashfield, $7,500;

 

Centre: Howard Volunteer Fire Co., Howard, $3,027;

 

Chester: Avondale Fire Co., Avondale, $7,500; Longwood Fire Co., Kennett Square, $4,000;

 

Clarion: East Brady Volunteer Fire Department, East Brady, $2,323; Limestone Township Volunteer Fire Co., Clarion, $7,500; Washington Township Volunteer, Fryburg, $7,500;

 

Clearfield: BJW Volunteer Fire Co., Woodland, $4,085; Goshen Volunteer Fire Co., Shawville, $1,530; Lawrence Township Fire Co. No. 1, Clearfield, $3,000; Morris Township Volunteer Fire Co., Morrisdale,$7,500;

 

Clinton: Volunteer Fire Co. of Mill Hall, Mill Hall, $1,430; Wayne Township, McElhattan, $2,700;

 

Columbia: Aristes Fire Co. No. 1, Aristes, $1,125; North Mountain Volunteer Fire Co., Benton, $6,389; Valley Chemical Fire Co., Catawissa, $2,425;

 

Crawford: Fallowfield Fire & Rescue Co., Atlantic, $7,215; Spartansburg Volunteer Fire Department, Spartansburg, $2,178;

 

Dauphin: Londonderry Fire Co. No. 1, Middletown, $576;

 

Elk: Wilcox Volunteer Fire Department, Wilcox, $850;

 

Erie:  Edinboro Volunteer Fire Department, Edinboro, $2,948; Kuhl Hose Co. Inc., Erie, $7,176;

 

Fayette: Point Marion Volunteer Fire Department, Point Marion, $3,890;

 

Fulton: McConnellsburg Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1, McConnellsburg, $4,350;

Huntingdon: Alexandria Volunteer Fire Co., Alexandria, $7,500; Shade Gap Fire Co., Shade Gap, $5,493; Stone Creek Valley Volunteer Fire Co., Petersburg, $998; Three Springs Fire Co., Three Springs, $3,750; Trough Creek Valley, Cassville, $1,245;

 

Indiana:  Armagh & East Wheatfield Township, Armagh, $1,500; Homer City Volunteer Fire Co., Homer City, $1,916;

 

Jefferson: Big Run Volunteer Fire Co., Big Run, $1,250; Ringgold Area Volunteer Fire Co., Ringgold, $7,500;

Juniata:  Friendship Fire Co., Port Royal, $7,500; Juniata Wildland Firefighters Inc.,

McAlisterville, $7,500;

 

Lackawanna: Scott Township Hose Co., Scott Township, $7,500;

 

Lancaster: Keystone Wildfire Crew Inc., Holtwood, $1,032; West Willow Fire Co., West Willow, $3,250;

 

Lawrence: Mahoning Volunteer Fire Department, Edinburg, $7,500; New Wilmington Volunteer Firemens Association, New Wilmington, $4,000; North Beaver Township Volunteer, New Castle, $6,500;

 

Lebanon: Mt. Zion Community Fire Co., Lebanon, $4,550; Neversink Fire Co. Company, Lebanon, $3,240; Newmanstown Volunteer Fire Co., Newmanstown, $5,775; Ono Fire Co., Ono, $3,634;

 

Lehigh: Alburtis Fire Co. No. 1, Alburtis, $3,270; Community Fire Co. of New Tripoli, New Tripoli, $3,750; Goodwill Fire Co. No. 1 Inc., Germansville; $2,771;

 

Luzerne: Bear Creek Township Volunteer Hose, Bear Creek, $7,500; Germania Hose Co., Duryea, $2,688; Harveys Lake Fire & Ambulance Co., Harveys Lake, $340; Hobbie Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1, Wapwallopen, $1,495; Laurel Run Volunteer Fire Department, Wilkes-Barre, $1,000; Maltby Volunteer Fire Co., Swoyersville, $7,500; Mt Zion Bicentennial Volunteer Fire Co., Harding, $7,500; Nuremberg Weston Volunteer Fire Co., Sugarloaf, $1,800; White Haven Fire Co. No.  1, White Haven, $500;

 

Lycoming: Clinton Township Volunteer Fire Co., Montgomery, $700; Loyalsock Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1, Williamsport, $2,400; Pine Creek Independent Volunteer Fire Co., Cammal, $5,351; Unityville Volunteer Fire Co., Unityville, $3,061;

McKean: Corydon Volunteer Fire Department, Bradford, $1,780; Kane Volunteer Fire Department, Kane, $1,500; Lewis Run Volunteer Fire Department, Lewis Run, $600;

 

Mercer: East End Volunteer Department No. 1, Mercer, $7,500; Sandy Lake Volunteer Fire and Rescue, Sandy Lake, $1,000;

 

Mifflin: Newton Wayne Volunteer Fire Co., Newton Hamilton, $2,896;

 

Montour: Goodwill Hose Co. No. 4, Danville, $3,750; Washingtonville Volunteer Fire Co., Washingtonville, $2,533;

 

Northampton: Diamond Fire Co., Walnutport, $1,590;

 

Northumberland: Beaverdale Fire Co., Mount Carmel, $7,500; Trevorton Fire Co. No. 1, Trevorton, $315; Upper Augusta Volunteer Fire Co., Sunbury, $3,750;

 

Perry : Blain Fire Co., Blain, $1,184; Duncannon Fire Co. Inc. No. 1, Duncannon, $1,366; Landisburg Volunteer Fire Co., Landisburg, $4,684; New Bloomfield Fire Co. Inc., New Bloomfield, $3,984;

 

Pike: Blooming Grove Township Volunteer, Lords Valley, $3,975;

 

Schuylkill: East Norwegian Township Fire, Pottsville, $1,500; Liberty Fire Co., Schuylkill Haven, $900; North End Fire Co., Pine Grove, $5,803; Washington Fire Co. No. 1, Ashland,       $2,355;

 

Snyder: Reliance Hose Co. No. 1, Middleburg, $4,722;

 

Somerset: Berlin Fire Department Inc., Berlin, $3,500; Hooversville Volunteer Fire Department Inc., Hooversville, $2,933;

 

Susquehanna:  Hop Bottom Hose Co., Hop Bottom, $6,425; Rush Volunteer Fire Department, Lawton, $3,750; Silver Lake Volunteer, Brackney, $7,500; Snake Creek Volunteer Fire Co., Hallstead, $7,500; United Fire Co., Montrose, $5,000;

 

Tioga: Mansfield Hose Co., Mansfield, $2,200;

 

Venango: Rouseville Volunteer Fire Department and Relief Association, Rouseville, $250; Seneca Volunteer Fire Department and Relief Association, Seneca, $3,500;

 

Warren: Bear Lake Volunteer Fire Department, Bear Lake, $2,975; Clarendon Volunteer Fire, Clarendon, $2,225; Wrightsville Volunteer Fire Department, Pittsfield, $6,500; Youngsville Volunteer, Youngsville, $7,500;

 

Washington: Avella Volunteer Fire Department Inc., Avella, $3,148; Denbo Vesta 6 Volunteer Fire Department, Brownsville, $7,500; Fallowfield Township Volunteer Fire Co. and Relief Association, Charleroi, $3,622; Hanover Volunteer Fire Department, Burgettstown, $4,140; Morris Township Volunteer Fire, Prosperity, $2,500; Roscoe Volunteer Fire Co. Inc., Roscoe, $2,800; West Alexander Volunteer Fire Department, West Alexander, $1,147;

 

Westmoreland: Chestnut Ridge Community Volunteer, Stahlstown, $1,919; Fairfield Township Volunteer Fire, New Florence, $2,620; Ligonier Volunteer Hose Co. No.1, Ligonier, $2,685; Lowber Volunteer Fire Co., Lowber, $7,500; Salem Township Co. No. 1 (Slickville ), Slickville, $5,625; Sewickley Township Fire Co. No. 1, $3,790; Smithton Volunteer Fire Department, Smithton, $3,750; Youngstown Volunteer Fire Department and Relief Association, Youngstown, $7,500; Yukon Volunteer Fire Co., Yukon, $2,558;

 

Wyoming: Nicholson Fire Co. No.  1, Nicholson, $6,445; Northmoreland Township Volunteer, Dallas, $2,265; Noxen Volunteer Fire Co., Noxen, $7,500;

 

York: Union Fire & Hose Co. No. 1 of Dover, Dover, $2,435.