ASHLAND COUNTY — The Ohio Department of Commerce Division of State Fire Marshal has stoked the flames of growth for a trio of Ashland County volunteer fire departments.
Three Ashland County fire departments recently received a combined $81,409 in funding from the Small County Volunteer Fire Department grant.
- Mifflin Community Volunteer Fire Department received $50,000.
- Ruggles-Troy Volunteer Fire Department received $13,102.
- Sullivan Volunteer Fire Department received $18,307.
How will the departments spend the money?
Mifflin Community Volunteer Fire Department Chief JJ Bittinger said the money will purchase personal protective equipment, including new boots, gloves, hoods and turnout sets.
Outfitting one volunteer firefighter costs over $4,500, Bittinger said.
“Our budget is so small, I chase grants all the time,” Bittinger said, noting the budget is under $50,000.
Last year the department received an Ohio Fire Marshal grant to purchase a new multi-agency radio communication system.
Ruggles-Troy Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jeremy Smith said the money will be spent on new battery-operated equipment, including a chainsaw, light powers, a leaf blower, a positive pressure ventilation fan and batteries and chargers for various equipment.
Smith said most of the department’s equipment is old, gas-powered items, which are heavier than modern battery-operated equipment.
“It will help make things lighter for the guys now,” Smith said.
The grant will cover the full purchase of all the equipment. Smith echoed Bittinger’s claims.
“We try to apply for as many grants as we can,” he said.
Sullivan Volunteer Fire Department Chief Doug Campbell did not respond to calls from Ashland Source for comment.
Grant background
The State Fire Marshal’s grant dollars totaled $7,997,960 and funded 190 volunteer fire departments across 49 counties.
“The nonrenewable grant was established to help the state’s small county fire departments purchase essential equipment, upgrade facilities, and enhance access to firefighting training,” according a to a State Fire Marshal press release.
Legislation that created the grant defined small counties as those that have a population of 70,000 or fewer per the 2020 U.S. Census.
Approximately 70% of Ohio’s nearly 1,200 fire departments rely on volunteers, but the number of volunteers is dropping sharply across the state, according to the release.
“These small, volunteer fire departments, many of which serve rural areas of the state, are the backbone of Ohio’s fire service, and the vast majority of them are working with small budgets,” State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon said in the release.
The grant program is the latest in a series of initiatives established to support the state’s volunteer fire service at this critical time, according to the release.
Previous actions by the Division of State Fire Marshal include making all training and classes at the Ohio Fire Academy available free of charge for volunteers and volunteer departments and the development of a new volunteer recruitment portal where Ohioans can search for volunteer roles near them.