MONROE TOWNSHIP — The Monroe Township Fire Department is set to receive $49,876.87 through the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of State Fire Marshal’s first-ever Small County Volunteer Fire Department (SCVFD) Grant.

Replacing old gear, adding new

“We’re very appreciative of how supportive the State Fire Marshal is to all fire departments — especially smaller and rural ones,” Monroe Township Fire Chief Aaron Halcomb said.

Halcomb said this grant money helps to purchase new equipment and replace older tools.

The grant will replace extrication tools — including cutters, spreaders and rams, also known as the jaws of life.

“The industry standard, battery-powered are what we will be switching to,” Halcomb said. “They are lighter and easier to manage.”

Halcomb noted that although these still use hydraulics, older versions needed much more equipment, limiting where they could get you.

Halcomb said they will also be adding additional equipment they didn’t have before receiving this grant money.

“We will get stabilization struts, which we don’t currently have,” Halcomb said. “These help stabilize off roadway and overturned vehicles.”

“I’m always looking for grants and typically apply for them every year to offset the rising costs of gear,” Halcomb said.

Recently awarded the Assistance to Firefighters Grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Halcomb said they were also able to replace 100% of their hoses and nozzles.

Supporting small county fire departments

The Ohio Department of Commerce Division of State Fire Marshal awarded $7,997,960 in funding through the grant program to 190 departments across 49 Ohio counties.

House Bill 96, passed during the 136th General Assembly, created the program to help small county fire departments purchase essential equipment, upgrade facilities and improve access to training.

The state defines small counties as those with populations of 70,000 or fewer — from the 2020 U.S. Census.

“These small, volunteer fire departments, many serving rural areas of the state, are the backbone of Ohio’s fire service – many working with small budgets,” State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon said in a press release.

“This grant funding will better equip these departments to do a job that our communities rely on them to do — be there if and when an emergency strikes.”

According to the press release, approximately 70% of Ohio’s nearly 1,200 fire departments rely on volunteers.

However, volunteer numbers are declining statewide, with a 6.5% decrease from 2018 to 2021, even as calls for service rose by 9% from 2018 to 2020. This information comes from the 2023 Governor’s Volunteer Fire Service Task Force report.

The SCVFD Grant is part of a broader effort by the Division of State Fire Marshal to support volunteer fire services, including free training through the Ohio Fire Academy, a volunteer recruitment portal and statewide campaigns to encourage volunteerism.

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