DNR awards grants to volunteer fire departments

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources awarded more than $415,000 in 50% cost-share grants this fall to 131 Iowa rural fire departments to help their efforts to protect Iowan’s and their property from wildfires.

The grants offer funding assistance for wildfire suppression, personal protective and communications equipment.

Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant recipients included Amana, Belle Plaine, Millersburg, Montezuma and Vinton.

The grants are made possible through Iowa DNR Forestry in cooperation with US Forest Service - State and Private Forestry.

Gail Kantak, fire supervisor with DNR forestry, said that all fire departments should submit wildland fire reports whenever they respond to a wildland fire or provide assistance to a prescribed or controlled wildland fire.

Wildland fire reporting forms are available at www.iowadnr.gov/fire.

Departments returning these reports receive priority points when the Fire Assistance grant applications are scored. Wildland fire reports are compiled locally and nationally and are reported to Congress.