Local fire departments awarded fire suppression kits

LITTLE ROCK — The Rural Fire Protection Program (RFP), managed by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division (Forestry Division), is awarding 91 wildland fire suppression kits to rural fire departments across 46 counties in Arkansas. The RFP received $315,221.13 through the Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant from the United States Forest Service to purchase the kits.

Local recipients include:

• Bingen (Hempstead)
• DeAnn (Hempstead)
• Guernsey (Hempstead)
• Fairhills (Nevada)

Volunteer fire departments are the primary partner to Forestry Division crews in wildfire response and suppression, but they are often in need of specialized equipment and gear necessary for safe wildfire suppression. Since 2014, more than 670 wildland fire suppression kits have been distributed to volunteer fire departments throughout the state. The necessary equipment and gear in the kits include lightweight wildfire-resistant coveralls, wildland gloves, rakes, backpack water pumps, and leaf blowers.