Published: November 10, 2007 11:58 pm         

Fire departments receive grants

Northern Oklahoma Development Authority awarded grants Nov. 3 to rural fire departments in Alfalfa, Garfield, Grant, Kay and Noble counties for equipment, tools and buildings.

State Sen. David Myers and state Reps Dale DeWitt, Mike Jackson and Ken Luttrell presented the grants at Medford Fire Department and thanked rural fire department representatives for all their hard work, said Larry Schafnitt, NODA Rural Fire Defense coordinator.

Northern Oklahoma De-velopment Authority serves communities and residents in Alfalfa, Blaine, Garfield, Grant, Kay, Kingfisher, Major, Noble, and Logan counties.

“Each department received an operation grant of $5,100 to help with the expense of running the fire department, such as utilities, insurance, fuel, maintenance and upkeep of equipment,” Schafnitt said.

“With the heavy wildfires this past year, fuel costs takes a very big part of this,” Schafnitt said.

State legislators appropriated $2.5 million this year for truck purchases. This year, Oklahoma Agriculture Food and Forestry Division was able to purchase 120 trucks. NODA will be allotted 10 trucks, Schafnitt said.

Trucks were awarded to Pioneer/Skelton Creek, Amorita/Byron, Manchester, Nash, Dale Township, Marland, Hitchcock, Loyal and Orion Rural Fire District.

Last year, the Legislature was funded $5 million for this purpose, and NODA received 20 trucks, Schafnitt said.

Burlington, Dale Township, Nash, Pond Creek, Newkirk, Loyal and Orion were awarded 80/20 competitive matching fire grants, with 80 percent coming from state funds and 20 percent locally.

Schafnitt said Burlington will use its $10,000 grant to help build a new station, and Dale Township plans to purchase protective gear with its $8,942.40 grant.

Nash will buy rescue tools with its $7,200 grant, and Pond Creek will purchase SCBA equipment with a $6,935 grant.

Newkirk will purchase pagers with its $2,896 grant. Loyal will use its $7,880 grant to purchase protective gear and new SCBA equipment, and Orion will use its $20,000 grant to build an addition and make needed repairs to its fire station.

“NODA received about 45 grant applications this year and all of them were worthwhile projects,” Schafnitt said. “The departments were all deserving. I wish we had the money available to fund all of them.

“The state legislators and officials work very hard to get us the funds we receive, and we all owe them our appreciation for the efforts they make in our behalf.”

The 80/20 grants are available for fire stations and improvements up to $20,000 or for the purchases of equipment up to $8,000. Applications are judged using predetermined criteria that measures need for and merit of the proposed project.