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Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area encompasses lands in both Northwestern New Jersey and Northeastern Pennsylvania. Over the course of the past 25-30 years the area both within and adjacent to the National Recreation Area has experienced a dramatic increase in both visitation and population. This increase in visitation and population has resulted in the construction of numerous private dwellings, private campgrounds, private residential developments, and resort-type developments being built and/or expanded both within and immediately adjacent to the National Recreation Area. These structures are all part of a major urban interface situation that exists throughout the area. Due to the high life safety and real property concerns that they represent, these urban interface areas are and will continue to be a major factor in wildland fire management operations.
The Volunteer Fire Departments that serve this area rely heavily on water tenders or above-ground hydrant systems for their fireground water supplies. During major wildland fire control operations, maintaining a high-volume water supply is critical to the success of the overall operation.
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, in cooperation with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service and the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry, purchased eleven high-volume (500 gpm) portable pumps for donation to eleven local volunteer fire departments. These pumps will be used to refill water tenders or engines and to supply water for above-ground hydrant systems. This endeavor was made possible through a $40,000 rural fire assistance (RFA) grant that was part of the National Park Service's 2002 RFA program.
The rural fire assistance (RFA) program is primarily designed to increase firefighter safety and enhance the fire protection capabilities of rural fire departments. These objectives will be achieved by assisting those departments in meeting or exceeding accepted standards of wildland fire qualifications, training and performance. Emphasis is placed on departments that protect rural communities and play a substantial cooperative role in the protection of federal lands.
This is the second year that the National Park Service has participated in the RFA program. In 2001, the National Recreation Area, in cooperation with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service and the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry, purchased and distributed more than $36,000 in personal protective equipment, wildland firefighting-related supplies and equipment to eleven local volunteer fire departments. In addition, approximately $4,000 in training materials were purchased and given to the two State agencies to help support their VFD wildland fire management training programs.
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