The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has announced the awarding of $495,000 in federal grants to 73 volunteer fire departments in Illinois. The grants are to help fund new equipment purchases and firefighter training.
Some of the grants for our area include: in Wayne County, the Fairfield Rural Fire Protection District, in the amount of $9480.50, in White County, the Norris City Fire Protection District, in the amount of $4205.60, in Clay County, the North Clay Fire Protection District, in the amount of $10,000, in Hamilton County, the McLeansboro Fire Department, in the amount of $10,000, in Jefferson County, the Jefferson Fire Protection District, in the amount of $4785, and in Marion County, the Salem Fire Protection District, in the amount of $6918.50.
The funding comes through the Volunteer Fire Capacity Grant Program, supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and administered by IDNR. The grants provide matching funds to help departments with equipment upgrades and training opportunities.
IDNR says the 73 grant recipients in the state provide fire protection to around 250,000 residents primarily in rural communities around the state. The program reimburses up to half of eligible project costs, with a maximum reimbursement of $10,000 per project.