Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is awarding a total of more than $700,000 to half-a-dozen rural Oregon fire departments.  Pete Springer reports.

The grants are part of FEMA’s efforts to ensure local fire departments have the tools and resources they need to safely respond to emergency calls. 

Mike Howard is a FEMA spokesman.

Howard “For example, the La Pine Rural Fire Protection District received a grant this week -- we announced it -- of $305,910.  They were in competition for those grant funds with fire departments and emergency services from throughout the country."

Other grants were awarded to fire departments in Charleston, Lowell, Oakland, Colton, and Garibaldi. 

The money will be used for operations, training, safety gear and purchasing new vehicles. 

Previous FEMA fire grants this year have gone to Clatsop County rural fire departments and the Corvallis fire department.