The Hillsboro (OH) Fire Department of Highland County will receive a 1986 Chevrolet one-ton four-wheel drive pickup truck through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry. The equipment, which has an original value of $16,902, is provided at no charge to the fire department through the U.S. Department of Defense Fire Fighter Property (FFP) Program.
“The FFP program helps local fire officials obtain important firefighting equipment that their limited budgets might not otherwise permit,” said David Lytle, chief of the ODNR Division of Forestry. “The budget for a typical Ohio rural volunteer fire department is $35,000 per year, with some fire departments operating on $10,000 or less.”
Items obtained through the federal program are provided to local fire departments under an agreement requiring equipment to be placed into service within six months. Once the Division of Forestry certifies the equipment has been placed into active service, the local fire department assumes complete ownership of the equipment.
Equipment available to fire departments through this program include fire engines, tanker trucks, pick-up trucks, vans, portable generators and pumps, compressors, hoses, nozzles, protective clothing and other safety equipment.
The Division of Forestry currently has cooperative wildfire suppression agreements with 325 fire departments located within the division’s fire protection area, which includes eastern and southeastern Ohio, as well as the Maumee State Forest area of northwestern Ohio. Fire departments interested in the program should contact Rick Maier at 740-774-1596, ext. 7 for information.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR web site at www.ohiodnr.com.
