Cloverdale, Jefferson township VFDs awarded wildland grants

Cloverdale Township volunteer firefighters work a large woods fire in Washington Township last November. They and the Jefferson Township volunteers will be able to purchase new wildland gear through state grant funding.

Banner Graphic/BRAND SELVIA

CLOVERDALE — Both the Cloverdale Township and Jefferson Township volunteer fire departments will be able to acquire new wildland firefighting gear with state grant funding.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources announced on Wednesday that Cloverdale Township Fire and Jefferson Township Fire will be awarded $5,000 and $4,785, respectively, toward said gear.

More than $454,000 in grants will go to 101 volunteer fire departments and fire territories in 58 counties. The 50/50 matching grants are administered by the DNR’s Division of Forestry from funds made available through the U.S. Forest Service.

The DNR provided that the recipients were based on population density, acres of public lands protected and reporting to the DNR’s fire control headquarters.

Jefferson Township Fire noted that the department last purchased wildland gear in 2005 with a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).