Nature: IR Receives Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant Award

The Indian River Volunteer Fire Company was recently notified of its grant award with the volunteer fire assistance program grant funding incentive as part of the Delaware Forest Service 2012 VFA Grant Program via the Delaware Department of Agriculture.

Illustrated herewith is commentary regarding the VFA program which provided a cache of forestry fire suppression equipment and funding for various volunteer fire company forestry fire suppression activities. The forestry fire suppression equipment included: forestry hoses, rakes, axes, swatters, indian tanks, nozzles, etc.

As you may be aware, Indian River operates two fully equipped brush trucks, an all-terrain vehicle for wildland fire suppression and a utility truck and trailer to transport such equipment to needed locations. To date, Indian River has provided reciprocated assistance to neighboring companies such as but not limited to: Georgetown (77), Ellendale (75), Millsboro (83), Bethany Beach (70), Lewes (82), and Rehoboth (86).

Additional VFA grant information may be viewed at the following website:

• http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/partners/vfa

Volunteer Fire Assistance program providing a little help for our friends

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More than 1.5 billion acres in the United States are privately owned or own by State and local governments. Basic fire protection on these lands is the responsibility of State and local entities.

Rural firefighting resources are often the first line of defense in meeting expanded protection needs for wildland-urban interface fires. Of the more than 35,000 local fire agencies nationwide, 75% are volunteer. They provide nearly 80% of initial attack on wildland fires in the United States. These departments provide, at no cost, wildfire and emergency protection service to 43% of the population, at an estimated value of $36 billion per year. The Forest Service has programs to help these crucial volunteers through their State Foresters.

The Volunteer Fire Assistance Program (VFA), formerly known as the Rural Community Fire Protection (RCFP) Program, can provide Federal financial, technical, and other assistance to State Foresters and other appropriate officials to organize, train and equip fire departments in rural areas and rural communities to suppress fires. A rural community is defined as having 10,000 or less population. This 10,000 population limit for participation in the VFA Program facilitates distribution of available VFA funding to the most needy fire departments.

Illustrations of neighboring company assistance can be viewed at the following websites:

http://www.irvfc.com/gallery.cfm?id=1104&ss=1– Structure Fire – Brush Truck Assists

http://www.irvfc.com/gallery.cfm?id=1069&ss=1– Brush Fire

http://www.irvfc.com/gallery.cfm?id=1008&ss=1– Woods Fire

http://www.irvfc.com/gallery.cfm?id=791&ss=1– Vehicle Fire – Polaris Unit Requested

http://www.irvfc.com/gallery.cfm?id=781&ss=1– Marsh Fire

http://www.irvfc.com/gallery.cfm?id=763&ss=1– Woods Fire – Brush Truck & Polaris Assist 

Indian River’s brush and forestry apparatus links can accessed by the clicking the following links:

http://www.irvfc.com/apparatus.cfm

Polaris 80 - http://www.irvfc.com/apparatus.cfm?pos=1&a=28

Brush 80-0 – http://www.irvfc.com/apparatus.cfm?pos=3&a=2

Brush 80-00 –  http://www.irvfc.com/apparatus.cfm?pos=4&a=3

http://www.irvfc.com/apparatus.cfm?pos=2&a=22