Nebraska Fire Departments Get $187,000 From Forest Service

The Nebraska Forest Service has allocated $187,000 in federal grants for volunteer fire departments.

The service announced this week that the U.S. Forest Service is providing the funding. The money will be used for 91 Nebraska community projects through the state’s Volunteer Fire Assistance program.

A state forest service employee says 97 percent of Nebraska’s 490 fire departments are volunteer.

The program allows the service to share up to 50-percent of equipment costs with the fire departments. Common expenses are protective clothing, safety equipment and training.

The service says that rural firefighting needs are much greater than the money made available by the program. Rural fire departments submitted 142 project applications requesting more than $983,000.