|
The National Park Service, in conjunction
with Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, recently provided
funding through the Rural Fire Assistance (RFA) Program to
the Lovell Volunteer Fire Department. The department received
$5,200 to purchase supplies and increase firefighter safety.
Historically, the National Park Service
has had no capability to help with funding for small, rural
fire departments that routinely fight fire on or near Department
of Interior (DOI) lands. The RFA Program is designed to assist
rural fire departments that often rely heavily on volunteer
firefighting resources, especially those that have a substantial
cooperative role in the protection of federal lands and support
interagency fire efforts. The program helps fund equipment,
training and prevention needs on a cost - share basis.
The RFA Program was developed following
the 2000 fire season, when Congress recognized that safe and
effective protection in the wildland-urban interface requires
close coordination among local, state and federal firefighting
resources. Additionally, Congress acknowledged that rural
and volunteer fire departments responding to wildland fires
needed to improve overall firefighter safety and enhance their
wildland fire protection capabilities. The Lovell Fire Department
has utilized the RFA Program for the past five years. During
this time, they have received in excess of $20,000 in funding
and have provided approximately $2,000 in matching funds.
With the grant money received, they have purchased hoses,
nozzles, fittings, pumps and portable tanks to equip their
wildland fire engines, along with Nomex clothing, fire packs,
gloves and goggles to outfit all their
firefighters. Many of these purchases would not otherwise
have been feasible for this department.
The Lovell Fire Department currently consists
of 29 members and is responsible for protecting approximately
25,000 acres of wildland-urban intermix. They have three wildland
fire engines and respond to an average of 3-5 fires per year
on National Park Service land. Due to the size of the park
and limited equipment and resources, assistance from the Lovell
Volunteer Fire Department is absolutely essential to the protection
of people, property and natural resources in the area.
|
