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The Mosca-Hooper and Baca Grande (Colorado) Volunteer Fire Departments each received $10,000 in Rural Fire Assistance funding awarded through Great Sand Dunes National Monument and Preserve. This is the third year in a row that grant proposals for the two fire departments were approved.
Great Sand Dunes National Monument maintains mutual aid agreements with these two local volunteer fire departments (VFDs). The NPS responds to fires on adjacent lands and communities and in turn relies on assistance from these VFDs to respond to fires within the monument. At times these fire departments are the only firefighting resources available to help and are always the first to arrive. The RFA money will improve their capabilities and accordingly provide improved fire protection for Great Sand Dunes.
The Mosca-Hooper Volunteer Fire Department consists of 24 volunteers who provide protection for 360 square miles. Included in their protection district are lands immediately south and west of monument boundaries plus a number of wildand-urban interface residences. Great Sand Dunes maintains a mutual aid agreement with the department for both wildland and structural fire protection. .
The Baca-Grande Volunteer Fire Department consists of 20 volunteers who provide protection for 900 residents over 17 square miles, all of which is in a significant wildland-urban interface situation. This proactive department has aggressively addressed their situation by seeking wildland fire training, conducting workshops for residents, preparing a detailed fire management plan, and addressing fuels problems through prescribed fire and mechanical reduction projects.
When the federal government purchases lands to the west and north of the current monument boundaries, the Baca-Grande development will be an immediate neighbor to our northwest and a vital resource for providing initial attack on future NPS lands. Many of their members have gone out on a number of interagency fires and some have completed advanced training.
Each department in turn will provide matching funds totaling ten percent of the grant. The money will be used to fund prevention efforts and training in wildland firefighting safety, tactics, and supervision. It will also be used to purchase additional personal protective equipment, tools, and other equipment used in wildland fire suppression.
An indirect benefit of the RFA grants has been to improve communication and personal relationships with each department. This facilitates cooperation and interchange in such areas as training and preplanning. |
